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Govt to get another Call-a-Ride provider
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Posted on Sep 28 2005
The Council for Developmental Disabilities aims to award a contract to another provider for the Call-a-Ride service in view of the termination of the service by Pacific Development Inc. beginning this Friday.
DD Council executive director Antonio Chong said yesterday that three private entities have pending proposals for the program.
At the same time, the council is also exploring the possibility of the Aging Center handling the service.
Chong said there are 200 people who benefit from the Call-a-Ride program every month.
He said that PDI spends some $9,000 a month for personnel, fuel, and maintenance. He said this monthly spending would be up due to the high fuel costs at this time.
DD council has two vans, including one that is in the shop for repairs.
Chong met with Gov. Juan N. Babauta yesterday afternoon to finalize plans for the program. “We’re asking for funding assistance,” Chong said.
PDI earlier notified the council that it would stop providing transportation service to people with disabilities as part of its contingency plan for Japan Airline’s withdrawal next month.
“[I]t would be very challenging to continue the operation of the [Saipan] Call-a-Ride program after Sept. 30, 2005 due to the [pullout] of Japan Airlines from the CNMI. But the pullout of JAL has impacted PDI tremendously and is unable to continue to operate this service,” PDI general manager Yoichi Matsumura said in a letter to the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities.
