Need a ride to Bellingham?

Welcome aboard!

Circle of Care is announcing the launch of its new wheelchair accessible bus this week and encourages Point Roberts residents to book a ride. Call 360/945-5222 to reserve your seat on the first trip to Bellingham on Thursday, December 5.

Rides to and from the grocery store or to Bellingham for doctor’s appointments, prescription pick-ups and visits to the hospital are frequent requests made of Circle of Care’s volunteers, accounting for about 40 percent of the requests for assistance. As a result, the board of trustees announced its intention to acquire the funding and purchase a wheelchair accessible vehicle at its annual general meeting in February. A proposal to the Colton Family Foundation was submitted in the spring, and the funds to purchase and operate the bus were awarded in July.

The bus was purchased in the autumn with grant funding. The intended purpose is providing Point Roberts residents with transportation to doctors and other medical appointments. Initially, the service will make a weekly run to Bellingham on Thursdays, so clients are encouraged to do their best to arrange their appointments on Thursdays after 9:30 a.m. and before 3 p.m. Riders will be collected from their homes, driven to their appointments, collected afterward and returned to their doorsteps.

If you anticipate utilizing the service, you are encouraged to acquire a Nexus card if you don’t have one, as the bus and its riders will – under most circumstances – be allowed to use the Nexus lanes. Not having a Nexus card will not prohibit you from taking advantage of the service, but will affect the scheduling of the departure time so as to ensure that everyone can be processed by CBP/CBSA and arrive in Bellingham on time for their appointments.

There is room for eight passengers and four wheelchairs as well as a driver and a volunteer rider to assist passengers on and off the bus. The Circle of Care board of trustees hopes to see the bus traveling to Bellingham full of passengers and will schedule another day each week when demand increases. The bus can also be used to provide rides around the Point for senior lunch, grocery shopping, appointments at the clinic or for physical therapy. It could even be booked for special excursions into B.C. for cultural or special events.

Currently, two drivers have are willing to make the weekly trip. Each trip with a wheelchair user present will need a volunteer to assist in loading the wheelchair and securing it and its occupant. If you are interested in either being a driver (no CDL is required due to the occupancy of the bus) or assist in helping passengers on and off at their destinations, please let Circle of Care know.

To book your trip, or if you have any questions about the bus service, please leave a message on the Circle of Care voicemail at 360/945-5222.