Cache Creek council has “no immediate consideration for re-entering the local transit system,” says mayor John Ranta.
While the village is looking at some form of local transportation that will allow Cache Creek residents to get to Ashcroft for such things as medical appointments, the form of the transportation has not been decided on.
At the open meeting on June 20, council discussed the possibility of applying for a New Horizons for Seniors grant so the village could purchase a minivan for the transportation of residents. “I don’t see an initiative for council to get back into the transit system,” said Ranta at the time, adding that it is “in our interest to provide funds for a wheelchair-accessible van.” However, Ranta confirms that the minivan option is “not being actively pursued” at this time.
A delegation from the Para-Transit committee made a presentation to Cache Creek council at the open meeting on March 7, detailing changes to the service since Cache Creek opted out of it in 2013. Council asked for further details regarding ridership and costs, which were provided.
At the Para-Transit meeting on June 13, the committee agreed that all of the necessary information had been provided. A letter was written to the village of Cache Creek which read, in part, “The committee believes that we have provided you with the recent factual information and are not in a position to guess what the future may bring. Our offer to rejoin the service remains open based on the information provided.”
Clinton councillor Wayne Marchant, a member of the Para-Transit committee, says that Cache Creek council “doesn’t seem interested” in pursuing inclusion in the transit system. “They were really worried about when would a new bus be needed and what their share of the cost would be.” He adds that the budget, service, and plan of the transit system is “better than before”, and notes that any participant has an opt-out option available to them.
“We offered Cache Creek free membership for a year, so I don’t understand why they don’t want to be on board,” says Marchant. “Ridership is up, and the Clinton people are really excited about the service.” Clinton residents regularly travel to Ashcroft and Kamloops on the bus, and TNRD Area “I” director Steve Rice says that residents in his area are using the bus more and more. Rice also wants residents of Spences Bridge to be made aware of the after-hours service available, as there are a number of events in the area that residents would like to attend, and utilizing the bus would make this possible.
Marchant reiterates that the offer for Cache Creek to rejoin the transit system is still on the table. “I can’t understand for the life of me why they’re not in it.”