Capital Area Rural Transportation System now charging $2 for CARTS Now rides in Bastrop, Taylor
The Capital Area Rural Transportation System is now charging $2 for CARTS Now rides, ending its monthslong promotion that offered free trips in Bastrop and Taylor.
The change happened Jan. 3. CARTS Now is an on-demand ride service that the transportation company offers in Bastrop and Taylor to take passengers between two locations within the service zone. Rides arrive within 15 minutes of booking, according to CARTS.
Though fares are set at $2 each way, passengers may purchase an all-day pass for $6 or a monthly pass for $88. Seniors 65 and older, persons with disabilities and children 12 and younger accompanied by an adult can take advantage of half-price fares, according to CARTS.
Passengers who schedule a CARTS Now ride to any CARTS station to make a connection to other company services will get that ride for free, the company said.
CARTS Now launched in Bastrop in January 2021, and began the service in Taylor in July. Since those services began, CARTS has provided more than 23,000 rides within the two cities and the company hopes to expand services to other areas in need of additional transportations options, CARTS said.
“We started these services in Bastrop and Taylor free of cost to help promote and raise awareness of this innovative service option we have to offer,” CARTS General Manager David Marsh said in a statement. “Although we are now charging for rides, we are pleased to have low fares that are affordable for everyone. We’ve had a great experience in both cities and the feedback we’ve received has been highly positive. We look forward to expanding these services in the near future to other rural areas,”
CARTS Now rides are available in Bastrop and Taylor from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Passengers may request rides through the CARTS Now mobile app, which allows users to set up a pickup location and a drop off destination within the city limits. Passengers may also call the CARTS Now ride line at 512-505-5666 to set up a trip.
CARTS services the non-urbanized areas of Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Travis and Williamson counties. In addition to CARTS Now rides, the company offers interconnected services such as country bus, interurban coach and metro connector.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Rural transportation: CARTS Now rides now cost $2 in Bastrop, Taylor
