The freeholder voted to approve an interlocal agreement with the City of Bayonne that would take over medical transportation services for residents in the city. The city will give the county $100,000 and titles to two vehicles. Hudson County will use its Transcend Program to provide the 1,000 to 1,200 trips per month.
The city program is scheduled to end when municipal layoffs begin. Three of the drivers in Bayonne are among the almost 70 employees to lose jobs as a result of municipal budget cuts.
County Executive Tom DeGise, during a telephone interview, said the county agreed to use a program it already has in place for transporting senior citizens.
“This is not a hard lift, we just have to make sure we schedule the trips,” he said.
The $100,000, which Bayonne currently gets in grants, would be used to maintain, fuel and insurance the vehicles, as well as to pay part of the salaries of drivers.
Bayonne residents age 60 or older or those permanently disabled are eligible for the Transcend service. For more information, call (201) 271-4307.