WORTHINGTON -- Fees for Nobles County's Prairieland Transit System will increase for the first time, effective May 1, because of rising transportation costs.
Karen DeBoer, director of Prairieland Transit System -- which is part of Southwest Minnesota Opportunity Council (SMOC) -- explained Wednesday that both taxi and bus fares will increase by 50 cents. As has been the case, however, dispatched fares -- available from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding some holidays -- will carry lower prices.
Regular fares will become $4.50 for adults, $3 for each additional adult and $2 for youths. Children ages 2 and younger are free.
For dispatched fares, adults will now be charged $2.50, with each additional adult $2 and youths also $2.
DeBoer said a Joint Powers Board composed of city, county and SMOC officials approved the fare increases on Tuesday. While lower, dispatched fares will remain available, there's little option but to raise them as well, she explained.
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"There are state and federal funds that go into this to make this possible," she said. "There is no additional money in the subsidy pool to offset costs.
"The subsidy pool hasn't increased since we've established this pool in 2002, and MnDOT (Minnesota Department of Transportation) has told us we're not getting any more money this year, either," DeBoer added. "So, we cannot expand the number of passengers we're able to serve. ... We have four cars now in service, and there would be a fifth car made available if we were able to expand service."
Bonnie Junker, co-owner of Worthington Taxi Service, said rides are available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, with hours extended every Friday night until 2 a.m. On Saturdays, taxi rides are available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with service resuming at 10 p.m. and continuing until 2 a.m.; Sunday hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"On Jan. 1, 2007, those extended hours were added to hopefully increase public safety in Worthington," DeBoer said. "A lot of people had requested the service, but there hasn't been the usage that we anticipated, and we're surprised at that."
DeBoer noted that Hagen Distributing of Worthington has now made coupons available at Worthington bars for free taxi rides home.
For the Heartland Express bus service, rides will cost $2.50 effective May 1. The cost had been unchanged since 2002.
Heartland Express buses serve all of Nobles County, with the post office the pickup location for most communities. The bus will stop at any street along the route.
For a Worthington Taxi Service dispatched fare ride, people must call 372-4444 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Taxi service at regular fares is also available by calling 376-4300.
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For more information on Heartland Express service, call 376-3322, ext. 238, or DeBoer at 376-4195.
