OLDER DRIVERS BRING RELIABILITY, COMPASSION TO TRANSPORT SERVICE

This article highlights the older drivers of a nonprofit paratransit company in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, who bring reliability and compassion to their jobs. Community Transit, founded in 1982 and funded largely by the Pennsylvania Lottery Fund, addresses 2 concerns related to aging in the community; transportation and senior employment. Each day, the drivers transport about 1,800 people, many of whom are older or have disabilities, to various destinations in or near the county. The demand-responsive, door-to-door shared rides require reservations the day before, and seniors pay 15% of the normal fare. Most of the company's 175 drivers are aged 65 or older; 25% are 70 or older. They earn $6/hour, have an impressive safety record for the nearly 2 million miles they log each year, and are courteous, reliable, flexible, and extremely helpful and compassionate to their clientele.

• Corporate Authors:

  National Council on the Aging

  409 Third Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20024
• Authors:
  • Reinemer, M
• Publication Date: 1998

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 6-7
• Serial:
  • Innovations in Aging
  • Volume: 27
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: National Council on the Aging

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aged; Aged drivers; Demand responsive transportation; Door to door service; Paratransit services; Persons with disabilities
• Identifier Terms: Pennsylvania Lottery Fund
• Geographic Terms: Pennsylvania; United States
• Subject Areas: Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00792520
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 2 2000 12:00AM