LETTERS: TAXI SERVICE IS COST-EFFECTIVE

To the editor:

This letter is in response to the May 11 article, "Curb service: City, county study public transportation options." With the information provided in the article, I have done some evaluating on my own. Following are the figures that I have arrived at in my evaluation.

Cape County Transit provides "9,000 one-way trips per year with a budget of a little more than $100,000," says manager Darreld Davis. This figures out to be $11.11 per one-way trip.

Scott County Transit provides "24,000 one-way trips with an annual budget of $132,920," says Marilyn Schlosser, project manager. This comes up to be $5.53 per one-way trip.

Kelley Transportation provided "88,156 one-way trips" (information provided by Mary Thompson with the city of Cape Girardeau) at the cost of $286,490.75. This comes up to be $3.25 per one-way trip.

The city's additional overhead expenses of $39,617.06 add up to be $326,107.81 for transportation provided by Kelley Transportation. This figures out to be $3.69 per one-way trip. Kelley is still $1.83 cheaper per one-way trip than the lowest not-for-profit organization. These organizations get their vehicles for 20 cents on the dollar through tax money. Kelley does not receive any assistance in any form for our vehicles, except for the last wheelchair van, which Kelley Transportation paid 20 percent of the cost.

I spoke with John Richburg with the city on May 11, and the city had in its budget 91,680 coupons to sell to the public for the fiscal year 1996-97. But the actual amount that was sold was 91,168, which comes up to be a savings of $1,152 off the budget. In addition, Kelley is only reimbursed for coupons that are actually used, which was 88,156 for that same period. So there is a total of 3,012 coupons that were purchased but never redeemed. This comes up to $3,012, but it could be more since some people pay $2 per coupon and some pay $1 per coupon. Not only did the city save $1,152, it profited at least $3,012.

For every tire, gallon of gas, spark plug and can of oil, Kelley Transportation pays sales tax. Kelley Transportation also pays property taxes, city taxes and state taxes every year, unlike Cape County Transit and Scott County Transit, which are not-for-profit organizations. Kelley Transportation is a privately owned company and has been since my dad started this business in 1959. We have run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We have had to shut down one time in all of those years due to the blizzard in 1979. We run on holidays at no extra cost to our passengers, and I will continue to do the same.

TERRENCE KELLEY, President

Kelley Transportation Co.

Cape Girardeau