The Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority (PDRTA) says it is in need of alternative funding sources or it could be forced to cut services in the six Pee Dee counties it serves.
PDRTA's Executive Director Charles MacNeil says their revenues started declining five years ago when state officials changed the way they contracted the medicaid transportation program.
"The medication transportation service delivery model changed and for whatever reasons I'm not sure why it happened. A third party private entity was engaged to broker medicaid transportation services so that agencies like PDRTA went from doing all of that work to simply waiting for the telephone to simply tell us who to pick up and who to take when and quite succinctly the phone has been ringing less and less," said Charles MacNeil.
MacNeil says PDRTA's revenue for medicaid transportation services has dropped from $4 million in 2007 to $1.5 million expected this year. He says the authority's total operating budget is $6.5 million.
"That has created a serious and significant financial situation for us and without finding alternative, dedicated revenue sources we're really in a bind to continue to sustain what we do in the communities that we serve," MacNeil explained.
He says they've already cut the "HART" bus service in the City of Hartsville. PDRTA provided public hourly bus routes there since last October, but had to terminate services because of their finances. MacNeil says it was a painful decision, but one they couldn't avoid.
Since 1976, PDRTA has provided services in Florence, Darlington, Dillon, Marion, Chesterfield and Marlboro Counties.
It is the oldest and largest regional transportation authority in South Carolina.
"There are many people who really without our service would not be able to get to life-quality services such as a medical appointment. We on any given day transport 300 to 400 people to specifically medical appointments," said MacNeil.
He says the transportation authority makes about 435,000 trips a year through its scheduled routes and demand responses.
Walter Murphy of Florence depends on PDRTA to get him to and from doctor visits every week.
"I'm going to start a petition because I need this bus to run. I have seizures and they took my driver's license away and I can't drive. So I need the number six bus to run," said Walter Murphy.
According to PDRTA's website, it provides approximately 78% of its own financial support through contracts, fares, and other revenue services.
The transportation authority receives federal and state grants, primarily for capital equipment such as vehicles. Federal and state grants require a percentage of matching funds.
PDRTA receives less than $90,000 per year from all cities and counties in the six county Pee Dee region combined, but MacNeil says now they're in need of more money from the counties. He says in recent weeks they've talked with city and council members from each of the counties to make them aware of their financial situation.
"It is a difficult situation for our agency as well as those communites to have us knock on their door and explain as well as to try to hope that they understand the value of the service and then for them to try and figure out if there is anyway they might be able to help us with sustaining those services to their communities," said MacNeil.
PDRTA will continue fixed routes in the City of Darlington and Lake City.
MacNeil says he's hoping cities and counties will come through so they can avoid cutting any services in the Pee Dee.
