Council and seniors voice displeasure over senior bus service pilot project

At least one member of council was “floored” to learn that Town administration opted to do a seniors pilot bus project with a school bus, following correspondence from a local senior.

by Colin Smith

Jordan Betteridge, Acting General Manager of Community and Infrastructure Services, made the commitment to council at its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 13.

The approach was recommended by councillors who heard dissatisfaction with the current service expressed by users during at the Morinville Rende-Vous Centre spring tea.

“Is it possible for someone from to set up an opportunity to talk to folks at the Rendez-Vous Centre?” asked Councillor Stephen Dafoe. “I think they would really like to hear from you on that or from someone else in the organization.”

Betteridge concurred with Dafoe’s remark.

“This letter is a facilitator for further contact,” he said. “We could reach out.”

Council’s discussion of the seniors’ bus service was prompted by receipt of a letter from resident Nancy Lalonde, who states a concern that the pilot project under which it currently operates “is set up to fail.”

The letter was flagged by Deputy Mayor Scott Richardson.

“There were a lot of concerns about the bus,’” he said. “Hopefully, for the next excursion, they can be rectified, and we can find appropriate accommodations for the seniors that ride the bus.”

Among the issues Lalonde identifies in her letter is that the pilot project was scheduled for the summer when many seniors feel comfortable driving themselves.

“I believe this bus would be used more frequently in the months when the weather is inclement,” Lalonde said.

Other shortcomings she sees include inconvenient scheduling, only one drop-off per trip, being informed of schedules to late to register for trips, and the school buses used being not suitable for people with disabilities and seniors in general.

“…[W]hen we moved here, there was a community bus which seniors in this community helped provide,” Lalonde stated. “There was a staff that was very knowledgeable about seniors’ needs and wants, and we found it a great asset to the town.

“Now we are told it is too expensive to operate. We were given a dollar amount as to the expenses, but we were never given an amount of revenue generated.”

She noted that the Rendez-Vous Seniors Centre was involved in seeking a New Horizons grant for the bus, and representatives from the centre sat on a committee to organize its usage, but seniors were no longer involved in this.

During the discussion, Betteridge noted that the bus service pilot project was developed hurriedly following the passage of the 2023 budget, with a focus on staying within the limit of the funds budgeted for it while maximizing the number of excursions put on.

Asked by Councillor Ray White why school busses were being used rather than the town’s own community bus, now parked in the Public Works yard, Betteridge said his understanding was that complicated insurance rules made its use unfeasible for the pilot project.

Councillor Maurice St. Denis expressed incredulity about the bus service presently being provided.

“I’m floored to learn that we opted for a school bus,” he said. “I thought that, at the very least, we would be using something comparable to the bus we currently have in the spirit of trying to figure out whether or not this is a service we need.”

The letter was accepted as information.