Trumbull commissioners approve new senior-citizen rides

WARREN

The Trumbull County commissioners on Wednesday approved the distribution of $195,000 in senior-citizen levy funds to four companies to provide rides to senior citizens.

Among the reasons for moving the $195,000 from Trumbull Transit, the county’s public transportation service, to the four companies is to provide senior citizens with more companies to pick from and fewer situations in which rides are denied, said Diane Siskowic-Jurkovic, Trumbull County county senior levy administrator. It is hoped the new system will be more efficient so that the levy money will provide more services than now, she said.

The companies selected are All-American USA Taxi of Warren, $52,340; Garwin Inc. of Hubbard, $52,340; Comfort Car-A-Van of Youngstown, $52,340; and Country Neighbor of Orwell, $37,980.

Though all four organizations will provide rides inside and outside of Trumbull County, there are some differences among what they provide.

Comfort Care-A-Van offers mostly wheelchair rides but also some rides for people who don’t use a wheelchair.

All-American USA Taxi and Garwin both provide rides to people who don’t use a wheelchair. It is essentially a taxi service, Siskowic-Jurkovic said.

Country Neighbor’s rides are for people who use a wheelchair and those who do not. Its rides are focused on people in the northern tier of Trumbull County, she said.

The $195,000 is intended to last through the end of 2019, but there is an option to continue the rides an additional six months on a month-to-month basis.

Siskowic-Jurkovic said a registration process for riders is currently under way. About 200 people have registered so far. All registered riders will receive information advising them of the steps they should take to arrange rides.

Veterans and disabled people will still be able to get rides through Trumbull Transit after June 30, Siskowic-Jurkovic said. It is hoped that rides for senior citizens will return to Trumbull Transit at some point in the future, she said.

In addition to rides, the seniors levy also provides services such as homemaker care, which are services to keep senior citizens in their own home.