After East Tennessee Human Resource Agency cut its pay-per-ride transportation services in Loudon County on March 1, another organization has tried to help fill the gap.

Senior Citizens Home Assistance Service started offering $5 rides for Loudon County residents in need at the beginning of April and will continue the program through June.

“Maybe longer than that if ETHRA doesn’t get something worked out where they can give all the rides in Loudon County,” Molly Simerly, Loudon County director for SCHAS, said.


United Way of Loudon County is funding 30 rides per month through SCHAS at the cost of $5 for passengers, providing a total of $1,350 through June to help with the expense.

“What we’re going to do is take a look at that at the end of three months and see if its meeting the need, see if we have to adjust,” Judy Fenton, executive director for United Way of Loudon County, said.

SCHAS was previously providing a ride service for its clients, but has opened the pay-per-ride service to all Loudon County residents who need assistance.

“Our goal is to have around 30 rides a month,” Simerly said. “Anybody that needs a ride can call us as long as … they can get in the car and out of the car.”

The pay-per-ride program from SCHAS came together quickly, Simerly said.

“It was sort of something that came on,” she said. “We didn’t even realize until we started getting calls that ETHRA wasn’t giving rides to some of our clients. ... A lot of people rely on that service in our community. All of a sudden it’s no longer there, and there’s no form of public transportation for them to rely on.”

The program through SCHAS is not perfect. The organization does not have wheelchair accessible transportation but instead uses a standard car.

Still, filling in for at least some of the loss is important, Fenton said.

“It’s very important to us, particularly for our seniors and those that have maybe experienced some time in the hospital and need some assistance getting back and forth,” she said. “We want to make sure that they can get to their appointments.”

One advantage over ETHRA’s service is SCHAS caregivers will not only provide transportation, but will stay with clients throughout appointments before transporting them home.

While SCHAS and the United Way plan to reevaluate the program at the end of June and potentially extend the offering, both Fenton and Simerly hope ETHRA will return its pay-per-ride service to Loudon County before then, alleviating the need for an extension.

“We’re hoping that ETHRA, that there’s something worked out by then,” Simerly said.

Anyone in need of the service can call 865-986-8000.

“We’re trying to get the word out there that anybody who needs a ride can call us and we’ll set up a ride for them,” Simerly said.

SCHAS also offers non-medical, personal care services for the elderly and disabled on a sliding fee scale. That same scale will be applied to the ride services, Simerly said.

“We provide for everybody who is eligible for those programs,” she said. “The eligibility is they can’t ask us to do something they can do by themselves.”