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01 January 2017 Hours of Operation: The Otsego County Bus System (OCBS) dispatch center opens at 6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday bus service is 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. and is limited to one bus being used for service. Fare structure: Fare costs for riding the County bus are approved by County Commissioners. The following fares were voted on and approved 12/13/2016 and effective 01/01/2017: Senior Citizens (60 and over)/Disabled Passengers $2.00 one-way Head Start and Pre-School $2.00 one-way Students $3.00 one-way General Passengers (under 60 years $4.00 one-way Passengers must have exact fare amount for ride as our drivers do not carry money to make change. NOTE – Federal Transportation Administration and MDOT determine which category of passengers must receive the lowest fare rates. Boundaries of Operation: The Otsego County Bus System operates within the entire County of Otsego to include all roads. OCBS treats all roads the same whether they are private or public/county maintained. We will go down any road and provide door to door service, as long as the road is passable for our buses. Roads are determined as non-passable due to tree limbs hanging so low that they hit and damage our buses or there is too much snow or ice to get down the road in a safe manner. According to Federal Transportation Administration rules, Senior Citizens and Disabled passengers are the only category of passengers whom we are allowed to transport out of our County for special outings/trips. These trips are organized and operated in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 19 of the Federal Mass Transit Act of 1964, as amended, and 49 CFR part 27; or 45 CFR part 80. Reservations for transportation: Transportation requests are coordinated through the OCBS dispatch office at: [PHONE REDACTED] ext.#1, between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Passengers can schedule their rides up to 5 days in advance of the day they need transportation. If passengers are calling to set up a ride for that present day, they should try to give as much notice as possible to ensure dispatch can coordinate and have a bus available. Two hour notice is normally a sufficient lead time, as most outlying communities/towns are within a 25 minute ride from Gaylord. OCBS will also schedule a return ride home if the passenger would like to do that at the same time they schedule their pick-up. Passengers should also inform dispatch if they have a specific time they need to be at an appointment and dispatch will endeavor to provide enough time for the pick-up, so that the passenger can arrive prior to their appointment time. To set up a ride for Saturday Bus service you must call our Dispatch office at [PHONE REDACTED] ext. between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Friday the day before to set up your pick-up and return trip if necessary. If Friday is a Holiday or Closure day due to weather conditions, you can call on Thursday to set up your rides. Otsego County Bus System Operational Policy ---PAGE BREAK--- Note* - If you have set up a ride for Saturday and you determine on Saturday that you no longer need your ride, you MUST call [PHONE REDACTED] and leave a voicemail message so the driver can cancel your ride. Please leave your name and address that you were to be picked up at so the driver has the proper information to cancel your ride. The OCBS dispatch center is not open on Saturdays. No-Show 3 minute wait rule: The Otsego County Bus System Dispatch will apply the “No Show” rule to all adult passengers after a bus driver has waited three minutes at the designated pick-up location and at least one attempt to re-establish phone contact with the passenger who set up the ride to inform them the bus is waiting at their location. For contact to be re-established with the passenger or parent of a child, it is imperative that all dispatchers ensure a contact phone number is written down on the route sheet. This “No Show” rule will never be applied to children or students who ride the County Bus unless direct contact has been made with the child’s parent or guardian and confirmation has been made that the child is not riding or other arrangements have been made for the safe and secure transportation of the child. Students or children who are being picked up from School, Daycare, Head Start or any other location will never be left until dispatch has ensured contact with the parent, guardian or teacher. No exceptions. Students and Children who are in a group requiring transportation for a field trip, or any other reason will be treated the same. Dispatch will ensure the correct pick-up location of the group trip by double-checking with the classroom or individual who set up the group trip to make sure our buses are at the right location. Dispatch will also request a cell phone number of an adult who is going on the trip with the students to ensure communication if something arises, such as a bus breaking down, bad weather, heavy traffic causing delays getting to the pick-up point, etc. Inclement weather closures: The Otsego County Bus System Department Manager makes the determination if the County Bus will close due to inclement weather. The Department Manager will check the roads beginning at 4:00 a.m. and make a determination prior to 5:00 a.m. in order to ensure the closure information gets out to Community members at the earliest possible time. Closure information will be listed on all local television stations and Eagle 101.5 Radio.