Covid casualty: ITNSuncoast suspends ride services for seniors over driver shortage
COVID-19 has claimed another casualty.
ITNSuncoast announced that it is suspending its services effective Thursday, Sept. 16.
Since 2010, the nonprofit has provided transportation services in Sarasota and Manatee counties to seniors and others in need.
The organization stopped accepting reservations for rides on Wednesday.
“As a result of the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have suddenly found ourselves faced with an insufficient number of volunteer drivers to adequately meet community demand for transportation assistance,” Deral Pitts, ITNSuncoast executive director, said.
“Our hope is that we can regroup as an organization, build up a right-sized fleet of volunteer drivers, and resume operations at some point in the future,” Pitts said.
ITNSunCoast has supplied thousands of rides to persons throughout Southwest Florida who have needed help getting to doctor appointments, social services, grocery stores, drugstores, libraries, as well as to restaurants, theaters, and more.
To support the community as the organization regroups, ITNSuncoast will provide a list of transportation alternatives on its website, itnsuncoast.org, and on its social media platforms facebook.com/ITNSuncoast and twitter.com/ITNSuncoast. As well, the organization is reaching out to users of its services through email and phone calls.
Since 2010, the organization has made rides available for any reason, seven days a week, at any time day or night, to anywhere within Sarasota and Manatee counties.
Alternatives available to seniors who have used ITNSuncoast include:
▪ Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT), 941-749-7116, www.mymanatee.org/departments/mcat/riding_mcat/.
▪ Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT Plus), 941-861-1234, www.scgov.net/government/departments/scat-bus-service/fares-and-information.
▪ Consider It Done, 941-896-4089, www.consideritdoneami.com.
▪ Doctor’s Transport, 941-924-4990, www.doctorstransport.com.
▪ Seniors On The Go, 941-444-0569, https://cardman1.wixsite.com/seniorsotg
▪ Lyft- Nationwide, 631-201-5938 (no need for app), www.lyft.com/rider/call-a-lyft-ride.
▪ Uber- Nationwide, www.uber.com.
This story was originally published September 15, 2021 at 3:32 PM.
