After receiving grant money, Chatham-Kent is looking to make it easier for people to get around.
The municipality was awarded $500,000 over five years from the Ontario Community Transportation Grant Program.
According to Mary Alice Searles, program manager with Chatham-Kent Employment and Social Services, the money will mainly be used to help those who might have a difficult time accessing public transit.
"It will increase access to transportation for people and families that are lower income, and for youth," said Searles. "Primarily for people who do not have access to public transit right now, so we're looking at the rural area."
The money will help create a partnership between the municipality and Family Service Kent. Expanding on one of their existing programs and filling some of the gaps when it comes to transit in the area.
"What we're hoping to do is purchase an extra van that will go out with the fleet of vans that Family Service Kent currently operates. It would be an accessible van that will do a door to door service and link people with existing transit systems," said Searles.
The service will run on a reduced rate to make it easier for people to get out and about, who might normally have difficulty affording it.
Searles said because of the size of the municipality, transportation is a challenge in Chatham-Kent. Although she says this won't solve all the problems, she's hopeful it's a start.
The program is still in its early stages of planning and more details will be released at a later date.
