Ozark Regional Transit will no longer run its buses on Saturday, starting the weekend after Feb. 16, according to the transit organization’s general manager.
The Ozark Regional Transit Board voted Thursday to end its Saturday service, a practice that began in 2009.
General Manager Joel Gardner said the cost of Saturday service was not worth the low ridership.
Weekday riders cost the transit $3.83 per rider each trip, while Saturday riders cost the organization around $19 each trip. Saturday costs amount to about $3,500 per month, Gardner said.
Gardner hopes the money saved from ending Saturday service may eventually lead Ozark Regional Transit to extend its weekday hours to help out people who work beyond typical hours. Buses run 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.
Gardner plans to eventually offer full Saturday bus services, if administrators and the board can carve out a profitable plan over the next few years.
Transit officials will analyze routes and bus rates over the next month-and-a-half before their March board meeting, in which board members will hopefully unveil a two-year planning schedule, Gardner said.