INNISFAIL - After two years of multiple mechanical and electrical problems with the town's aging and unreliable handivan, local seniors and handicapped citizens are finally getting their long- awaited brand new unit by the new year.
The new vehicle, a 12-passenger, six-wheelchair StarsTran Senator II unit, will cost almost $86,000, with $50,000 of it coming from the Innisfail Community Bus Society and the remainder from the town's Handi-Van Reserve and General Capital Reserve accounts.
The town's portion of the total cost was approved by town council at its regular meeting on Sept. 24, two weeks after council approved extended weekend and evening hours for its current leased handivan.
Last June council unanimously agreed to have administration move forward with a process to replace the current mechanically problematic handivan, a 2004 Ford eight-seat model that logged about 243,000 kilometres. Since then, the town has been leasing a 16-seat 2009 handivan for $2,500 a month until a new and permanent handivan can be purchased.
Council's approval on Sept. 24 for a brand new handivan followed a recommendation by the town's Transportation Service Review Committee, which met on Sept. 19 to review five vehicle proposals. Council was told it will take a maximum of 150 days for the new handivan to arrive but there is optimism it could arrive earlier.
"This is a great day. I think having a reliable accessible service is awesome for our residents, and dependable. Definitely dependable is a good word to use so the residents don't have to worry whether something is not going to work -- just having that reliability there for the residents," said Karen Bradbury, the town’s community and social development coordinator. "It has been challenging in the last couple of years for sure because we've had some cancellations, or the bus has been in for repairs. That does have an impact on residents."
Council also approved a second recommendation for administration to look at sponsorship opportunities to acquire an additional one-wheelchair accessible minivan to provide individual rides for citizens to and from local and out-of-town appointments.
"The challenge previously and even now when the handivan is out of town for a trip is that there is nothing locally," said Bradbury, adding the transportation committee is looking at different cost effective options.
She said the sponsorship idea is an opportunity for local businesses to be part of community service. Bradbury said it has not been determined yet how much money they would require to purchase a reliable minivan.
"If we had a secondary unit and if only one person required to go to Red Deer it would make more sense for the service provider (Innisfail Royal Canadian Legion) to use the smaller unit, and then we've still got the handivan servicing local residents," said Bradbury.
Council was told there is one month remaining on the lease agreement for the temporary handivan with an option to renew. As for the old unreliable handivan, which is not used for out-of-town service, it will be determined by the transportation committee if it is still serviceable, or whether it should be sold or put to auction, said Bradbury, adding the transportation committee will be reviewing its options, likely at its next meeting on Oct. 11.
"We want to make sure the residents have the service they need," she said.
In the meantime, the confirmed decision by council to move on the purchase has pleased both members of council and the legion.
"This means reliable service now, and we have a brand new van or will in 150 days," said legion manager Don Harrison, noting the quick success of the recent expansion of handivan service on weekends and evenings. "We already have riders requesting weekend service and we are looking forward to evening service which starts this Wednesday (Sept. 26)."
