Taxi coupons keep people, food on the move

Emma Lee Berry, 78, could drag out her walker. She could gingerly climb into a taxi cab and risk falling or slipping, an incident that would no doubt send her to the hospital.

But she'd rather not have to take that risk for a little fast-food fried chicken. By using her Cape Girardeau taxi coupons, she doesn't have to. Berry has her KFC delivered.

The city's taxi coupon program is doing more than providing transportation for people. In a few cases, it's transporting food, too.

The coupon system was established by the city in 1981 for the handicapped and residents over 60 because no public transit system existed. Still no public transportation exists, though various nonprofit organizations provide services.

The county has a transit system that can pick up Cape Girardeau residents if they're going somewhere outside the city limits.

Today, the taxi coupon program is available to every city resident, though those with permanent disabilities or older than 60 pay only $1 per one-way coupon, while others pay $2. The operation expenses total $482,740. About $93,000 of that is paid for by the coupons. The city matches state grant money for about $195,000 to pay for the rest.

The program only allows for 14 tickets per month per person. According to a list obtained from the city, 50 people purchased the maximum amount of coupons, 168, for the year. Many more purchased more than 100.

Berry's situation is rare, says Kim Kelley, co-owner of Nip Kelley Transportation, the town's only cab service. Kelley said deliveries are made only about once a week and Berry is "one of the only" people who use the system this way. The cab drivers will not deliver alcohol or cigarettes, limiting the deliveries to grocery and food items, Kelley said.

And the deliveries do not cost the city nor the cab company extra money because the person has to use two coupons, the same amount he or she would use if the person rode along.

For Berry, being able to skip the ride is a blessing.

"It's so hard to get up in that van," she said. "I call and put my order in and they tell me how much it will cost. I call the cab company and they bring it to me."

Kelley doesn't see picking up items as an extra burden.

"I'm looking at an instance of an elderly person who doesn't want to get out in the heat," she said. "If they want to call the grocery store, it's saving them from getting out in the weather and they're still paying the same amount they would if they were riding with us. It's a courtesy to that customer."

Perhaps the reason the reason so few people have groceries delivered is because they're not aware that the service exists.

Councilman Hugh White said he didn't know about it, but he didn't see any problem with it.

"Well, I don't pretend to be an expert on the program, but it sounds to me the service is very beneficial for the people who are utilizing it," he said. "It doesn't seem to add cost. It seems to me like a nice service."

Mary Thompson, the city collector who oversees the taxi coupon program, said she had a conversation with Kelley recently to discuss what would and would not be eligible for delivery.

"There is nothing written," Thompson said. "But I talked to Kim about it. Basically, it's for food and groceries."

Hundreds of Cape Girardeau residents use the coupon system, though Berry and others say the service is inconsistent. For the month of May, 5,788 tickets were used. From July through May, 63,031 tickets were used.

Dwight Hendon is one of those who purchased the maximum every month.

"It's vital to me," he said. "I'm not able to drive and I use it quite often."

bmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127