CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority (CCRTA) announced a new service that will benefit students in our area.
The program is called destination education. Managing director of public relations Rita Patrick said every student will benefit from it.
Beginning Sept. 1, CCRTA will begin offering fare-free rides for grade school students grades pre-k through 12th grade, as long as they have a student ID.
For CCRTA priority is the safety of its passengers and with this new service for students, that will not change.
“Riding the bus is one of the safest ways to travel. CCRTA continues to have a police and security presence at transfer stations, on buses, and throughout our system. We’ve been nationally recognized for our safety efforts over the last two years by the American Public Transportation Association,” CCRTA’s Chief Executive OfficerDerrick Majchszak stated in a release.
The CCRTA Board Chair Dan Leyendecker said in a release that transportation should not be a barrier to a quality education.
"Our community’s future generations will now be able to utilize our system to get where they need to go and have one less barrier on their path toward success,” Leyendecker added.
In fact, CCRTA has a police and security presence at transfer stations, on buses, and throughout the system.
"Our goal is to help the students with providing them easy access to the school system, we don't want transportation to be a barrier," Patrick said.
She added that it is important to utilize public transportation because it is safe and secure.
" We have a variety of security officers that do ride some of the buses, so we do regard safety and security as our top priority for public transportation, and we feel that it's a safe mode of transportation for our students," she said.
Mary Orta is a parent of elementary school students. She has some concerns about the program.
" I would pick them up if I have to, I would not let them go on the bus alone and without you know any supervision from anybody and be dropped off anywhere no," Orta said.
She added that is very dangerous, especially for pre-k and elementary students.
" I don't think that's a good idea with everything that is going on in the world to leave your kid at a bus stop and not in front of the school I don't think that is good at all,"she said.
Patrick said if parents are concerned, they could always join their kids so they can teach them the routes they need to get to school. T
The RTA's app also helps to navigate and learn routes and bus times.
New riders can download the GoPass Mobile App to plan their trip and keep up with the latest service updates. For more information, pleaseclick here.
This service will be available to all students in the public and private sectors and even those who study at home.
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