The Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority (PDRTA) DCAT bus service has had a strong start in Dillon County despite COVID-19.

Don Strickland, Executive Director of PDRTA, said the DCAT services have now exceeded 3,500 passenger trips in the first five months. He estimates that this number would have been well over 5,000 if times had been normal based on the 40 percent reduction in ridership that he has seen in other counties.
PDRTA provides service throughout the City of Dillon as well as service from Latta, Hamer, Little Rock, and Lake View to Dillon.
“I am very pleased with the progress we have seen so far,” Strickland said. He said that all services they offer in Dillon County are showing growth.
As more people get vaccinated for COVID-19 and start getting out again, he expects this growth to continue.
Strickland said that PDRTA has implemented several steps to combat the spread of COVID-19 including increasing the cleaning with disinfectants across all of the routes and facilities throughout the day and continuing to clean after each service day. In accordance with the USDOT mandate, all passengers are required to properly wear a mask or face covering when using public transit. All buses are equipped with masks for those who may not have one.
One of the new services that they have recently implemented is the Harbor Freight Service from any place in Dillon County to Harbor Freight has started. Like all rides throughout Dillon County, a ride to Harbor Freight is fare-free. Strickland said he hopes this will enable more people to have reliable transportation to get to work at Harbor Freight. The rides to Harbor Freight must be scheduled the day before one needs it, and this can be done by calling 843-665-2227 option 2. Strickland said he hopes that employees will utilize this service. PDRTA has plans to have public bus service to and from Marion, Florence, and Marlboro Counties to Dillon and Harbor Freight later this year.
“Dillon’s not only home to our largest distribution center, it’s our home, too. As folks who live and work here, we’re proud to have been part of bringing free, dependable and easy to use public transportation to the community. PDRTA makes it easy for our associates to get to and from work, but it’s also there so our associates, their families and friends can use it to pick up medications, pay bills, and get to and from the grocery store and other businesses. We hope this makes life a little easier for everyone,” said Greg Elmore, Harbor Freight Tools Divisional Vice President of Human Resources, Supply Chain. “We also want to remind everyone that for their safety and the safety of others, they should always wear their mask and practice social distancing during the pandemic, even on a bus.”
PDRTA has also been involved with some other businesses to help people get the services they need.
“We have partnered with CareSouth to transport Dillon County residents to be COVID tested and also for those who were eligible for their vaccine,” said Strickland. “We also assisted with the Perdue Job Fair recently and certainly willing to partner with other agencies to do the same. We are here to serve and provide reliable public transportation for those that need it,” Strickland said.
Another area where they are seeing growth is in demand-response rides, where they actually pick someone up at their home, and take them for a doctor’s appointment, groceries, etc. This has been particularly popular with the senior citizen population.
Providing these rides and services, all take local support. “We are in need of additional local stakeholders to have all of this service,” said Strickland. The current local supporters are Dillon County, Harbor Freight, CareSouth, Dillon County LRTG, Trinity Behavioral Care, McLeod, Anderson Brothers Bank, Vantage Point, and First Bank. “We need a few additional stakeholders who recognize the benefit for those that have to rely on public transit to reach work, medical, education and shopping,” he said.
“Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority provides approximately 85 percent of its own financial support through contracts, fares, and other revenue services such as grants. PDRTA receives federal and state grants, primarily for capital equipment such as vehicles. Federal and state grants require a percentage of matching funds, and PDRTA looks to the communities and counties of the Pee Dee to provide the local support necessary to provide transportation services in local communities. Every $1 PDRTA receives is matched by $3 for operational expenses and is matched by up to $9 for capital expenses. This is why every dollar received is very important for PDRTA,” according to their website. Strickland said things are headed in the right direction in Dillon County, and he hopes more people will take advantage of this service and that it will continue to grow. He said Dillon County can expect more growth in this service coming in the very near future.

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