With the second quarter of the year concluded, Rocky View Regional Handibus Society (RVRHS) – which provides transportation to medical appointments, school and work for residents of Rocky View County (RVC), Chestermere, Cochrane, Crossfield, Irricana and Beiseker – is reporting growth, compared to the same time period the previous year. “We’re busier,” said Executive Director Paul Siller. “The stuff we do for the six municipalities is growing by leaps and bounds.” According to Siller, RVRHS has provided 25 per cent more trips so far this year, compared to the same period in 2017. According to a Second Quarter Update released July 31, trips provided to residents of Chestermere and RVC have increased by 60 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively. The growth has not been without challenges, Siller added. “It’s busy enough that we’ve had to start telling people who try to book a day before we’re already at capacity,” he said. While RVRHS has historically prided itself on its ability to accommodate last-minute bookings, Siller said the current reality makes those bookings increasingly difficult. Fundamentally, Siller said, the challenges stem from funding scarcity. RVRHS is trying to operate within the budget it has, but he said despite a great response from participating municipalities, funding has not matched the growth in demand. “(Funding) grows so fast, but demand grows faster,” Siller said. “It’s going to mean, probably, in the near future, there’s going to be a lot more people discovering that they book two days ahead and we don’t have the capacity to help them get where they need to go.” Siller said currently, RVRHS is trying to book and schedule rides as efficiently as possible, and hasn’t ruled out fundraising to address challenges. He added riders can help alleviate some of the pressure. “Don’t leave your bookings to the last minute,” Siller said. “If you know that you have an appointment, the earlier the booking, the more likely we can work things and have time to schedule more people.” RVRHS can accommodate bookings as early as four weeks in advance, he said, and booking earlier helps the society plan routes and schedules more efficiently. Despite the challenges, Siller said, there are reasons to be optimistic. RVRHS recently completed its Alberta Community Partnership Grant project, in partnership with RVC. The grant of $270,000 was issued to the County in 2016, and a portion was used to purchase four new vehicles, leased to RVRHS. With $13,000 remaining, RVRHS was able to purchase a gently-used, wheelchair-accessible van in June – which will be on the road later this month – before the grant deadline elapsed. RVRHS is also in the midst of a $250,000 fundraising campaign to purchase three new buses. Siller said the new vehicles will help address RVRHS’s current challenges, but the society hopes to obtain additional funding to pay drivers. “The biggest single expense is labour,” he said. “The key is to get some more vehicles, but also to find the money to put some more drivers on the road. Ultimately, that’s what we’re hoping to be able to do over the next six months, as we go into next year.”
