Published: August 08, 2008 07:27 am         

Bus service runs out of funding

Organizer makes plea for financial aid

DANVILLE — A local bus service is looking for financial help to keep it rolling each day.

The Driven to Succeed project calls for providing inexpensive transportation to workers employed at Plastipak in Cham-paign. Two buses were purchased to carry the people to and from the company.

Kevin Flynn, part of the project, said the program has lost money of late, forcing him to provide $30,000 in supplemental funds for the service. He said Driven to Succeed needs $10,000 to help it continue.

“This is something that helps the people,” he said. “This is what these people are living on.”

Without the money, Flynn said he would be forced to shut down the service beginning Monday. Original plans to stop the buses this week were postponed.

The Danville Public Services Committee did not act on a request by Flynn on July 23 for the $10,000, indicating it wanted re-ports on where the money would go and how the money coming in is managed.

The project began on May 12 with two large blue buses handling the transportation to Plastipak. Flynn said counts average 40-50 people on the buses each day. Workers pay for weekly tickets of $35 and the buses left Danville Township four times a day beginning at 6 a.m.

Flynn said the $10,000 is to get “over the hump” and help the program. He said they needed 60-70 riders to become self-sustaining in light of fuel and insurance costs.

“This is something that directly brings money to our community,” he said.

People interested in donating money to the bus service can call Flynn at 497-3547.