Buses will roll soon

Good news for the elderly in Vermilion Parish. By next week there should be transportation to help the elderly.
Last week the state closed the Vermilion Council on Aging and disbanded its board and let go the council on aging executive director, and some employees.
When the doors closed, it also meant the end of the transportation system the council on aging was running. The elderly were able to take advantage of vans provided to them by the Vermilion Parish Police Jury. The vans were busy taking residents to doctor visits, the grocery stores, pharmacy and other places. But that immediately stopped when the state took over the council on aging.
At Tuesday’s Police Jury meeting, Almetra J. Franklin, the head of the St. Mary Community Action Agency Inc. made a presentation to the Police Jury asking to take over the now defunct parish transportation service department.
Franklin explained to the jurors that St. Mary Community Action Agency already provides transportation services to the elderly in St. Mary Parish and it also provides transportation to the head start program in Vermilion and St. Mary parishes.
“We believe we can provide Vermilion Parish with a very affective and efficient service,’ said Franklin.
She explained the agency’s transportation plan for residents in the parish. One thing they will no longer do is transport residents to Lafayette or Iberia parishes. The transportation will only be in Vermilion Parish, she said.
The agency will use the four buses that have now been parked for the last week. The buses will continue to be parked at the council on aging office.
The Community Action Partnership already designated the dates and times when the transportation would take place.
The police jury approved the Community Action Partnership to provide transportation to the elderly.
Franklin said her workers will check out the vans this week to see what kind of driving conditions they are in. Then, they will begin hiring new drivers.
In the next week, the elderly will have transportation once again, Franklin said.