Mid-Ohio Valley Transit Authority suspending evening routes beginning Oct. 15
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PARKERSBURG -- The three evening Easy Rider bus routes were temporarily suspended until at least January due to a shortage of drivers, the Mid-Ohio Valley Transit Authority decided Tuesday.
''I would like to temporarily dispense with those for now until we can get our staff built back up as far as drivers,'' said General Manager Mike Kesterson.
The transit authority operates an evening bus to Vienna including the mall and Walmart, to the northside including Lakeview Drive, Dudley Avenue and Emerson Avenue and to the southside to Walmart, Rayon Drive and Pike Street. The buses run at 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and each loop is 12-15 miles.
Kesterson said overall ridership was down on the loop runs.
The Vienna loop has the highest number, averaging 9.96 passengers per hour, while the north Parkersburg loop has 5.31 and the south Parkersburg loop 4.89.
''This will affect the least amount of people,'' Board President Caleb Tisdale said.
Officials said the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a decrease in riders as many businesses are closing earlier in the evening as a result. Many of the passengers in the evening are mainly shoppers and people who work an evening shift.
''It is a good service that we really don't want to do away with, but we have to do something,'' Kesterson said.
Officials said the transit authority was down five drivers and two mechanic positions. Its current full-time drivers are working 50-60 hours a week with no time off and many of the part-time drivers are working 40-50 hours.
The newest driver has been on the job for 60 days. Other drivers have been in place for many years.
''We have a bunch of good drivers and I don't want to burn them out to the point where they are tired,'' Kesterson said. ''It is a safety issue with drivers working so many hours.''
Board Vice President Charles Harris, who participated in the meeting by phone, asked about efforts to hire new employees. Some applicants don't have the needed endorsements on their licenses, officials said, adding they are also willing to work with people to get their passenger endorsement.
They have advertised the jobs and they have interviewed applicants who decide they do not want the job, the transit authority said. Others don't show for interviews.
With this suspension of the evening routes, the transit authority will save 120 hours a week, Kesterson said. Drivers will receive time off and many overtime hours will be eliminated, saving money, he said.
''This looks like the best thing we could do now,'' he said. ''I would like to revisit it in January and if we can get the workforce back and definitely bring it back.''
The suspension will go into place on Oct. 15.
No one from the public commented during the meeting.
''I don't want this to be something permanent,'' Kesterson said. ''By no means do I want to go backward as we always want to go forward. Hopefully this just a little bump in the road and hopefully we can get back on track.''