Saugeen Mobility and Regional Transit needs at least three new vehicles and is asking its municipal partners to foot the bill.
Manager Roger Cook attended Brockton Council on Tuesday, stressing that Saugeen Mobility does not have any reserves available for contingencies. That could be bad news for residents who rely on the service for trips to a variety of locations, including hospitals, funerals and trips to see family members.
SMART's Board of Directors passed a motion last month to send a request to all participating municipalities to contribute a combined total of $250,000 to help replace the aging fleet of vehicles.
Cook notes Saugeen currently has 27 vehicles, including three spares, and range in model years from 2006 to 2018. Eight of these vehicles have over 300,000 kilometres on them, with some approaching or exceeding 400,000. Another seven have at least 200,000 kilometres.
For 2020, SMART will need to purchase three nine-passenger buses at a cost of $80,000, as well as a new 18-passenger bus for $130,000.