PADUCAH — The Paducah Area Transit System (PATS) met Friday, July, to confirm a change in the Saturday fixed route bus schedules. The PATS bus system will now operate from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday instead of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“We'd like to be able to accommodate and have more buses and more routes, but driver shortages," said PATS Operations Manager David Emerson.
The agency held the meeting after receiving a notice from the Kentucky Department of Transportation asking them to comply with the federal regulation "Maximum driving time for passenger-carrying vehicles."
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, commercial motor vehicle drivers and carriers may not exceed 10 hours of driving following eight consecutive hours off duty.
PATS Executive Director Jeremi Bumpus said in a written statement, "The Saturday fixed route schedule will now operate from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. so we can be in compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Highway Safety Administration."
The Paducah Area Transit System only has eight fixed route drivers who work split shifts on weekdays, four drivers work in the morning, and four drivers work in the afternoon.
Although the PATS drivers have time allocated for a lunch break, the previous Saturday schedule still required them to work a 12-hour shift. The new schedule will ensure that drivers with the Paducah Transit Authority work within federal guidelines.
"Sometimes our fixed routes will run over. Our drivers are limited to 10 hours of driving, and we're just trying to be in compliance," said Paducah Transit Authority Operations Manager David Emerson.
The Paducah Area Transit System only has eight fixed-route drivers who work split shifts on weekdays—four drivers work in the morning, and four drivers work in the afternoon. On Saturdays, only four drivers work—one driver for each route throughout the day.
"On Saturday, you're covering with less drivers than what you normally would through the week. we use all eight drivers through the week," said Angel Bailey, PATS Office Manager. "Saturday's kind of a long day. You just want to make sure that they don't go over that."
The PATS bus system will now operate from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday instead of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Emerson said the agency would like to increase the number of routes and buses, but the current staff number does not allow for any changes. He said since COVID-19, PATS has experienced a driver shortage.
"We'd like to be able to accommodate and have more buses and more routes, but driver shortages, just like everybody else, you know, we just have driver shortages. So, we do the best with what we have," Emerson explained.
He said that for PATS to have an adequate number of bus drivers, they would need four additional fixed-route drivers and at least two more demand-and-response drivers.
If PATS could increase the number of bus routes, people who utilize the bus system and rely on transportation, like Tonya Moss, could have more destination options.
Moss said she has ridden the PATS buses since they first started driving in Paducah. She said she is able to get to necessary appointments and complete tasks because of them.
Moss has ridden the PATS buses since they first started driving in Paducah. Because of them, she is able to get to necessary appointments and complete tasks.
"The doctors, it takes you to the doctors or the store. You can go to the store if you want to go. Anywhere you want to go. It can take you all over the place," Moss explained.
