Costly repairs cancel Amherstburg shuttle to St. Clair College

The cost of repairs and maintenance are too high for Amherstburg Community Services to keep shuttling St. Clair College students from the town to Windsor so they've cancelled the program.

The community agency has already pulled an accessible vehicle off the road at the end of last year. Now their five-seater vehicle joins the retired fleet.

"The repairs have become too costly, so we felt it was at that point where we had to make a decision to pull it off the road," said Kathy DiBartolomelo, executive director.

Aside from students, the organization also transports seniors to get to their medical appointments in the city.

As a result of the cancellation, Vanessa Dafonte and other students like hermight not be able to make it to their classes once college resumes in the fall.

Moving into the city would also be more costly whether it be in college residence or in an apartment than the $240 a month for the shuttle.

"This program was working perfectly for my needs that Ineeded in order to get to school and back," said Dafonte, who's going into her third year studying chemical laboratory technology.

"[Moving is] far more expensive than what we're doing now."

Fundraiser for new vehicle

Her parents work in Windsor but can'tdrive her to school because of conflicting work schedules. And herfather,Domingos Dafonte, worries they will face a similar conflict when his younger daughter has to go to post-secondary school.

The agency is running some fundraisers and hoping to get money from the town.

Domingos Dafonte hopes things will start lining up before September hits.

"[Town of Amherstburg is] spending money to make things better, but we don't have the services for transportation out here," he said. "Hopefully this fundraising goes off. Maybe somebody in the community sees how important this shuttle is."

DiBartolomeo said the organization is eyeing a 10-seater vehicle that would cost $75,000 to purchase. An Amherstburg company has offered to donate $25,000 on the condition that they're able to raise the other $50,000.

They're also reaching out to other organizations in the community to see if they can borrow a vehicle when the fall comes.

"I would hope by September we will have another solution," she said.