Mishandling of $2.8 million in transit grants has crippled Dial-A-Ride programs on St. Thomas and St. John. And the clients are suffering.
A recent audit of the Public Works Department by the U.S. Department of Interior said, "The (V.I. Department of Public Works) did not effectively utilize grant funds of about $2.8 million that were available to provide improvements to the public transportation system and to purchase buses for transportation services for the elderly and disabled."
Mary Blazine, executive director of the St. John Community Foundation, verified that finding at a town meeting on St. John this week when she told Delegate Donna Christian-Christiansen she had gotten nowhere in her attempts to replace the island's only Dial-A-Ride vehicle through PWD.
Rosemary Sumas, acting project director with Dial-A-Ride St. Thomas, said she has been quietly working to persuade Public Works to replace half of her broken fleet of five vehicles. As it stands today she has already had to limit service to St. Thomians living outside the Charlotte Amalie town area.
Sumas said "quite a few" people are on a waiting list for assistance.
"I have to choose who I assist based on medical needs," she said. "We have a lot of people who were already our clients who we've had to cut back services on."
Currently the agency has five vans — three 1990 models, one 1989 and one 1995.
"What's ironic is we applied for the 1995 van in 1991. It was approved in 1992. We got it in 1996 and it was a 1995 vehicle."
Sumas said she applied for two new vans in 1995. And now she's been told she has to reapply.
"Why should I have to reapply for something I've already applied for?"
Public Works Commissioner Harold Thompson Jr. said he will "go ahead and assist the Dial-A-Ride program. We're right now trying to work with them on developing another application for their needs because they provide a vital service to their customers."
However, Thompson also acknowledged that Public Works in recent years has given eight new vehicles like the ones used by Dial-A-Ride to other community groups.
The Source was unable to obtain a list of agencies that were given vehicles.
Dial-A-Ride provides transportation to the elderly poor and disabled making trips to work, school, medical appointments, shopping and recreation. The agency serves 600 people on St. Thomas.
An official of the U.S. Transit Administration is scheduled to visit the territory next week. Thompson said he will meet with that person and, with the help of other administration officials, try to persuade the agency not to revoke the $2.8 million transportation grant cited in the audit report.
