Sun Metro says no Sunday bus service due to lack of bus drivers
EL PASO, Texas — A shortage of bus drivers at Sun Metro is preventing the public transit agency from bringing back Sunday service.
Sunday bus service has been indefinitely suspended since December, and there is no plan for it to return soon.
In a presentation to El Paso City Council this past week, Sun Metro managing director Ellen Smyth told council members that the main reason Sunday service had not returned is because the agency is down about 70 drivers.
Sun Metro is looking to incentivize drivers. Starting Sept. 1, employees with a commercial driver's license will be receiving a “significant pay incentive,” according to Smyth.
Sun Metro is also planning ways to improve the ride for their loyal users. That includes an idea which was brought up during the council meeting.
Smyth discussed a possible plan to replace the regular 35 and 40-foot buses with smaller 15-passenger vans in the neighborhood routes. Smyth says this will get the big, bulky buses out of neighborhood streets, increase the frequency of routes, and opens the door for a new idea on their app to be able to notify bus drivers when you are ready to be picked-up.
“What we need here in El Paso is a more friendly transit to get people to want to ride the bus,” Smyth explained.
Earlier this year, Sun Metro had proposed a rate increase for their bus fares. The public transit agency hosted four virtual town-halls to get feedback from the community.
There is no plan for a rate increase on bus fares this upcoming fiscal year. Sun Metro is compiling future plans to present to council next year where they can discuss a proposed rate increase once again.
When asked what a rate increase could look like, Smyth responded by saying anywhere between 25 and 50 cents. A regular bus fare right now is $1.50, and the LIFT fare, Sun Metro’s para-transit service, is currently at $2.50. A proposed rate increase next year could be raise prices to $1.75 to $2.00 for a regular bus ticket, and $2.75 to $3.00 for a LIFT ticket.
