Columbus County in talks to offer more free rides to vaccination sites

COLUMBUS COUNTY (WWAY) — In Columbus County, officials from the North Carolina Department of Transportation are in talks to help offer free rides to COVID-19 vaccination sites.

Last week, the Departments of Transportation and Health and Human Services announced they’d allocate 2.5 million dollars to North Carolina counties. That money is to help local governments assist those in need get their shots, giving them free rides.

Columbus County’s public transportation is currently only running Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, giving free rides to the health department.

With help from the NC Department of Transportation, said Integrated Mobility Director Ryan Brumfield, it should be able to expand, addressing the county’s growing need as we enter the next vaccination phases.

“Columbus County in particular, I think right now they’re able to meet the challenges in terms of the demand they’re seeing,” said Brumfield. “But, we are in conversations with them as far as being prepared when the demand increases. Which it is expected to do obviously, as we get into later phases of the vaccine rollout.”

According to Brumfield, 50 percent of funds will be spread out equally among North Carolina counties. The other half will be determined by the percentage of elderly population.

“But eventually, the goal is to make sure every North Carolinian has access to the vaccine,” Brumfield explained. “And transit agencies are doing as much as they can to make that an easy process for residents.”