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WEST CHESTER—On Saturday, paratransit in Chester County took on a new look, but remained with the same goal — getting seniors, those with disabilities, and others to services and medical appointments when they cannot drive themselves.
The change, which had been studied for years, according to county officials, comes as the county Department of Human Services took over the leadership of the paratransit service that had been operated by a local for-profit company since its inception in the 1980s.
The new system — known as “Chesco Connect” — replaces the former Rover Community Transportation ride service operated by the Krapf Bus Service company. But it will feature much of the same destinations and services, and will operate with many familiar faces — the drivers who pick up and deliver riders to doctors’ offices, grocery stores, and the six senior centers in county communities.
“They can hit the ground running,” said Pat Bokovitz, the director of the county’s Department of Human Services, which began its operation of the paratransit service on April 1. “The ability to take on board some existing Rover staff has been beneficial. Our approach is going to be all about customer service, and so far, so good.”
The county commissioners, who had okayed a study of the transit offerings and how best to handle it as far back as 2021, on Wednesday approved the hiring of 29 new employees in the Community Transit department, which will be headquartered at the Government Services Center in West Goshen.
The new hires include 23 drivers, who will operate the 42 vehicles the service will ultimately have, including the 15-passenger mini-buses familiar to those who used the Rover service.
The changes should not come as a huge surprise to riders on the system. The county has posted flyers about the change on Rover buses in the first months of 2023, and sent out more than 2,000 post cards alerting riders to the change. Bokovitz said the Rover group had been helpful in getting the message out.
In an interview Friday, Bokovitz said that it will take some time for the county to understand what, if any adjustments could be made in the paratransit system to make it more efficient while still meeting riders’ needs.
In the past, because the service was operated outside of the county offices, it had little control over where riders would be taken, how much the budget for the service amounted to, nd other factors. Now, those questions will be answered in-house. Other counties in the region have long operated their own systems, unlike Chester County.
He said the budget for the transit department will be just over $4.1 million, most paid for through grants and not county tax dollars.
Over the past four years, the Department of Human Services has employed a consultant to review the county’s community transportation needs and costs, and the department has partnered with PennDOT to assess ridership feedback.
The consultant offered three options — keeping Rover as the status quo, asking for outside bids on the service, and operating it as a county service. Krapf was the only company to respond to the county’s request for bids, and it was decided the county could go on its own.
Ridership currently stands at 55 percent of pre-COVID levels, and state and national trends indicate that future usage of paratransit systems will remain uncertain. In April 2022, the total number of rides, not riders, for the county’s shared ride service, the persons with disabilities service, and the Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP) service was 6,649, according to the county.
To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan call 610-696-1544.
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