Courtesy photo / Volusia County. A Votran bus heads west on Canal Street in New Smyrna Beach in this photo. The county came up with a "flex" schedule to lessen the blow of some routes eliminated for greater New Smyrna Beach resulting from budget cuts.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Votran’s new flex service will hit the roads in Southeast Volusia beginning Oct. 4. To ensure riders are prepared for the new “call-first” curb-to-curb, flexible transportation service, staff is hosting a rider orientation open house 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Brannon Center.
“Flex service is open to the general public and has no eligibility requirements,” Votran General Manager Ken Fischer said. “Anyone can ride this service. Flex service fares are the same as the fixed route service. Regular Votran passes are accepted on Flex service trips, too.”
Votran flex buses will pick up passengers curbside within the designated Flex Service area and take them to any destination within the service area or to the bus stop that connects with Votran's fixed route bus system. Passengers must make flex service reservations at least two hours in advance of the time they wish to travel.
The Volusia County Council, looking for ways to cut next year’s budget, decided that eliminating Votran public transit service on some routes in New Smyrna Beach was going too far. Instead, the County Council opted for the scaled down service. The flex service replaces the southeast Volusia routes 42, 43, and 44.
“We wanted to offer a solution that would get people to their destination, but at the same time we still need to find savings,” Fischer said. “The flex alternative is a modified paratransit service that will cover the same geographic area as the existing routes. This is something new for all of us. We’re holding the orientation to explain how passengers will use the new service.”
A flex service bus will be on site for attendees to tour. Orientation attendees also can pre-register for flex service and plan trips with staff at the Sept 14 event.
For more information on Votran, please contact Votran customer service at 386-761-7700 in Daytona Beach, 386-424-6800 in New Smyrna Beach, or 386-943-7033 in West Volusia. Visit Votran on the web at www.Votran.org.