MILFORD, PA — More Pike County residents will be able to use the county buses now that the transportation group will be spun off the Area Agencies on Aging and be made an independent county department.

The headquarters for the new department will be moved from Blooming Grove to the administration building in Milford.

The director of the program, Keith Raser, has been in office since April. “We will continue to offer transportation to the shared ride program, the medical assistance program and people with disabilities as in the past,” Raser said. “What’s new is that we signed a contract just today with the Center for Independent Living and will transport any of their clients and will be paid by the center.”

Riders from the center, from age 18 to 64, include people who are blind, wheelchair-bound individuals and anyone who is not income-eligible for the medical transportation program, he said.

“Members of the general public can use the buses but will be charged at a much higher rate that the others,” he said. “It’s rather expensive if you have no subsidy.”

Applications must be submitted by anyone wishing to use the program. These are available at the two senior centers and can be downloaded from the county’s website.

“Go to www.pikepa.org, click on offices, and scroll down to the transportation department and the application is available there,” Raser said. (http://www.pikepa.org/transportation.html).

The department has purchased a new minivan and a 10-passenger bus, raising the total number of busses to 16. All repairs to the vehicles are done locally, he said. The funding sources for the program are the PA Lottery, PennDOT, the Medical Assistance Program and the PA Department of Aging.

Some examples of the fees are: in-county ride less than 15 miles one way is $1 for seniors, and $2.25 for people with disabilities. In-county rides between 16-21 miles is $1.50 for seniors and $2.55 for disabled.

Trip destinations include Stroudsburg, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Clarks Summit, Dunmore, Hamlin, Middletown, NY and Newton and Sparta in New Jersey.

For more information, contact the department at 570/296-3408 or 866/681-4949.