High gas prices take toll locally
As fuel prices rise, the pinch on motorists and businesses alike grows stronger each day.
“Obviously, it’s affecting everybody,” John Hill, director of transportation for Garrett County Community Action’s Garrett Transit Service, said. “It’s affecting our budget. We only have a certain amount to work within each year. We’re on efficiency mode, but not cutting back any services. We’re seeing a lot more calls for rides than we had before because of the rise in fuel prices.”
Some of the methods of cutting back on cost, Hill said, are to be more strict with no-shows, those people who request transportation but do not show up when the transit service arrives.
Hill said that even though the transit service is able to purchase its gas from Garrett County government and it is the cheapest in the area, it is still expensive.
For those having to purchase gas at area stations, the price is averaging $3.42 per gallon, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic, with many gas stations showing a price of $3.49, a few at $3.39. The average of $3.42 a gallon locally is higher than the state average of $3.40, and at this time a year ago, drivers here were paying $2.84.
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