OATS Transit will soon begin new procedures that officials say are designed to make scheduling trips and dispatching buses more efficient.
For more than four decades, local residents and drivers have devoted hundreds of hours to answering phones and taking reservations for trips. As of October 1st, anyone from 18 counties of northwest Missouri, including all of the Green Hills, who want to schedule a ride will call the OATS Transit office in St. Joseph. Rides must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance
In rural Missouri, OATS Transit is available to anyone; of any age. OATS also contracts with agencies and individuals to provide their transportation. OATS executive director Dorothy Yeager says the goal of the change is to increase productivity, improve efficiencies with the service, and handle more riders with the better routing of business.
The OATS toll-free number to call for a ride is 1 800 831 9219.
Schedules vary in each county depending on available funding sources. Buses travel within the city of Trenton Monday through Friday for a $1.00 donation. The one-way fare within the county is $3.00, and $4.00 to an adjacent county.
An OATS bus travels to Chillicothe the first Wednesday each month with trips to St. Joseph and Kansas City available to be scheduled.
