Van service takes you on the road

BART Transportation was founded in Cape Girardeau 20 years ago by Ray Duffey and John Marek for the purpose of transporting passengers between Southeast Missouri and Lambert Field in St. Louis. The service was offered on a 24-hour, seven-day basis in luxury conversion vans by reservation.

That tradition continues with new owner Kathy Hecht, who bought BART last year in June. "We have a lot of experienced employees," Kathy says.

Marcia Ridenour is the experienced general manager who has been with the company 18 years. The other three dispatcher/office employees have a total of 32 years with the company. Six drivers have more than 10 years' experience and we have added two additional vans due to increased demand. The operation utilizes 18 vans.

In 1988, BART expanded its operation to include transportation service from Southern Illinois to the St. Louis airport.

"We go from Carbondale, Marion and other Southern Illinois cities to St. Louis and back," says Kathy, adding that the service between Springfield/Decatur, Ill., and the St. Louis airport was started in 1992 and is currently operating with four vans. "Besides the airport, we take people to see doctors in St. Louis."

All management, reservations and dispatching are done from the Cape Girardeau offices at 2900 Kage Road. The company has established and maintained high service and safety standards for the past 20 years and plans to continue meeting or exceeding those standards in the future.

Kathy says the businessperson can just relax or do some work while in a van. Senior travelers can take trips without the worry of driving in busy traffic or having to ask someone to take them to the airport. Also, when you have those incoming visitors or clients, don't go after them -- let BART go get them for you. "We don't have a set schedule," Kathy says. "We set our schedules according to the customers' reservations and have a no-cancellation policy. New charter vans and rates now available."