Shuttle service in Indian Head provides transportation help to those in rural communities

A group of volunteers have gathered to provide much needed transportation to those in rural areas. Damian Smith has the story.

A new shuttle service in Indian Head, Sask. is helping to provide rides for those who require out-of-town medical and wellness appointments.

The not-for-profit Wheels for Wellness says it will offer “safe, reliable and affordable transportation” for residents of Indian Head and surrounding communities.

“I have been working for the town now for about seven years, and it has come up pretty much that entire time that this is a service that’s needed,” said Meagan McEwen, the community development officer for the town of Indian Head. “People will always have various setbacks to getting there, whether it’s that they’re uncomfortable driving in the city or they just don’t have transportation.”

In April, the town of under 2,000 people received 80 volunteer applications from members of the community to fill a team of three dispatchers and 22 drivers.

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As of now, the shuttle will be taking trips to Regina, Saskatoon, Weyburn, Melville, and Yorkton.

“Within the plan of the shuttle is to eventually be able to take rides from other communities as well in the surrounding area,” McEwen said. “If they can get to Indian Head, then we can definitely take them from here.”

Similar shuttle services have been established in several communities around the province, which piqued their interest.

“We based on the model that we’re using here on the Gravelbourg Cares Shuttle, which is a similar model that Gravelbourg first developed six or seven years ago,” said Nial Kuyek, the vice-president and secretary for Wheels for Wellness. “Their average passenger load has been 1.8 and they have a smaller population than us.”

So far, the group says it’s raised more than $50,000 in donations, with a goal of purchasing the van it is currently leasing.

The inaugural trip took place Friday morning -- heading down Highway 1 towards Regina.