Fares
$ 3.00 (per person per one-way trip) for Whiteville & Brunswick Townships. Available weekdays, from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.
$10.00 (per person per one-way trip) for anywhere else in Columbus County. Available weekdays, from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Greyhound Fares & Booking
The Rural Public Transportation System offers:
General Public Transportation of anyone to anywhere in the county. This is a state funded program where anyone can have transportation to destinations in the county.
Medical Transportation for clients of Columbus County's governmental agencies (funded by Health Department, Department of Mental Health-Developmental Disabilities-Substance Abuse Services, Department of Social Services, and Department of Aging)
Monarch Columbus Industries Transportation (funded by Department of Mental Health- Developmental Disabilities-Substance Abuse Services)
Child Care Medical Transportation
Free Medical transportation for children less than 6 years old and pregnant mothers. Funded by Columbus County Partnership for Children..
Out-of-County Medical Transportation
Community transportation may be available at no or low cost for eligible persons to most counties in eastern North Carolina if funded by a human service agency.
Veterans Transportation
Transportation to the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital in Fayetteville, Wilmington and Pembroke NC is now available for Columbus County Veterans.
Transportation is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays to the Fayetteville VA, Wednesdays and Thursdays to the Wilmington VA and to the VA clinic in Pembroke on Mondays.
Veterans will be asked to make their appointments between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm on the appropriate day for each VA facility. Veterans will be asked to meet at the Columbus County Transportation facility at 290 Legion Dr., Whiteville, NC by 7:20 am. The van will be leaving from the VA Hospital or Clinic at approximately 1:00 pm for the return trip to Whiteville.
Veterans will be asked to contribute $6 for the roundtrip. If they are unable to pay we will try to accommodate them anyway, if funding is available. They may have a caregiver accompany them at no charge if space is available on the van. Dispatch will need to be notified at the time they schedule their trip if a caregiver will be going with them.
Veterans should call 642-7201 to reserve space on the van. A two or three day advance notice is appreciated, but no less than a 24-hour notice is required.
If a van with a wheelchair lift is needed, please let us know.
This program may be discontinued if funds become exhausted or unavailable.
PURPOSE
To provide low-cost, reliable public transportation for qualifying citizens of Columbus County.
OPERATIONS
The County contracts with a private company, First Group Inc., to manage the daily operations and maintain the vehicles. First Group Inc. pays all salaries, insurance, gas, and maintenance. They are also required to have an effective Drug & Alcohol Testing Program, a Preventive Maintenance Program, and an active and effective Safety Program. The drivers have special training to work with children, geriatric and disabled citizens.
The transportation director, a state-paid county employee, oversees the contract, writes all the grant proposals (state and private), does the paperwork to ensure reimbursements from the state, and markets the services.
FUNDING
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) provides state and federal funds to operate a coordinated system. If funds become depleted then transportation services may have to be modified or suspended temporarily. State and local government agencies are encouraged and sometimes required to meet the transportation needs of their clients by scheduling trips through the county system.
Historically, the Columbus County system has the lowest operational cost of any rural public transportation system in North Carolina. Since the system is completely funded by the federal and state governments, no county funds are required.