VENTURA : City Cuts Mini-Bus Routes, Hikes Rates
In an effort to pare expenses, the Ventura City Council has agreed to scale back its mini-bus service and more than double the fares, angering some senior citizens.
Many of the routes covered by the mini-bus program already are available to residents through South Coast Area Transit, the regional public transportation system, said Everett Millais, the city’s director of community services.
Under a recommendation approved late Monday, fares for the mini-bus service will increase from 75 cents to $2 a ride.
By downsizing the program to one bus with limited coverage, the city can afford to keep the service rather than eliminating it, City Council members said.
“The mini-bus was scheduled to be cut three years ago, but we were able to save it,” said Councilman Gregory L. Carson, who suggested that local social service agencies might be able to help pay for the bus program.
Some senior citizen advocates, however, complained that SCAT bus drivers do not help passengers with their groceries--one of the key attractions to Ventura’s mini-bus service. They also worried that some elderly passengers would not be able to afford the rate hike.
“It was the seniors of Ventura Avenue who started the mini-bus,” said resident Maxine Culp. “Now it appears that they will be the ones to suffer.”
With the increase, the mini-bus fare will be the same as for SCAT, Millais said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
