Letter to the editor: public transportation needs some improvement

Bala Thumma

Being from a big city, I have always had access to public transportation to get anywhere.

When I moved to Troy without a car, my options were limited, and I had to adapt accordingly. Although there are some options available in Troy, I think there is room for improvement.

Troy University transportation system offers free rides to its students. This includes three lines of daily schedules that run on the hour and half-hour as well as a shopping shuttle to Wal-Mart three days a week.

The other service available to the citizens is the Pike Area Transit System (PATS). It offers rides for low fares from Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

However, there are many limitations in the current transportation systems. Troy University shuttles are mostly used to transport students from their homes to classes.

I believe they could expand their coverage to include most of the local businesses for students looking to get around the city.

The PATS system runs on demand and only on the weekdays. If an effort were made to design a regular schedule all around the city, it would very much benefit Troy residents.

If the city of Troy focused on streamlining the transportation services, the city itself would be a much more attractive place to live in.