Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/305631
One option — privatizing paratransit service which is offered for residents with special needs, veterans and the elderly who have difficulty taking regular buses — would save the county $1.5 million alone, reported SCAT General Manager Glama Carter. The average cost per such trip is $39, higher than the expense reported in communities that outsource the service. They pay an aver- age of $27 per trip, Carter's statistics showed. Patterson took issue with the Sarasota figure, asking why it is so much higher. Paul said county staff could not provide an answer at this point, but the study would delve into that. Vice Chairwoman Christine Robinson pointed out that the topic of privatizing services is a tough one for Carter, who, as the chief of SCAT operations, has come to know the bus drivers. Robinson thanked Carter for pro- posing to undertake the study with an eye to achieving efficiencies. % A chart outlines the county's current paratransit service business model. Image courtesy Sarasota County Sarasota News Leader May 2, 2014 Page 42