A Sundre-area woman is measuring community support for a daily shuttle service to Calgary.Carol James, who has run a charter service since 2002, said the 15-seat shuttle would run from Sundre and Olds to Calgary and would accommodate commuters and people who want to go to Calgary for a medical appointment or shopping.ìUnless there's greater demand than I would anticipate, I would see it as a Monday to Friday service,î James said.ìIf the demand was big enough I would make more than one trip a day. I would also foresee buying another vehicle if the demand is there.ìI believe it would be a good service even for people who want to go to the city for a day.îFor commuters, Carol's Country Shuttle could mean significant savings, James said.ìI'm thinking of charging $20 (return) for Olds to Calgary daily and $10 (return) from Sundre to Olds. So that's $30 to commute every day. Most people, if they drive to Calgary from Sundre, are paying about $40 a day in fuel, unless they're driving a Smart car.îWith enough passenger volume, James said, she could potentially run two shuttles a day ñ one directly from Sundre to Calgary and one from Olds to Calgary. There is also the possibility that some people will want to ride the shuttle from Sundre to their workplaces in Olds, she said.The service would operate by advanced booking and start Oct. 1. James is asking prospective passengers to contact her at (403) 638-3648 or [email protected] to indicate their time and route preferences.ìIt's a service needed at some level, but it's just a matter of finding out what that level is.îJames said she has discussed the shuttle idea for the last nine years but only considered it feasible after the Alberta government announced busing policy changes that take effect Oct. 1. Under the new system, there will be no required minimum service levels nor will any carrier have protected rights to any route.
