Students who come to college without a vehicle can use the week and weekend services of Dial-a-Ride.

The Dial-a-Ride program is available for all ages through the Coles County Council on Aging, Inc.

Sherri Wilson, the operations director for Dial-a-Ride, said they provided door-to-door services.

“There’s a need for public transportation,” Wilson said. “A lot of people could not get to their destination if they did not have public transportation, they would just be stuck at home.”

Wilson said the service is used for multiple reasons, including taking children to school in the morning.

Students can call as late as 24 hours or as early as two weeks before hand, but services will be based on the availability of drivers and vehicles.

Wilson said they have different types of transportation from a minivan to a 22-passenger bus.

The service will transport students anywhere within Coles County for $4 each way. There are also select days where students can get rides to Effingham, Champaign, Urbana and Danville for $5 each way.

Rides to Urbana and Champaign will be given on Mondays and Thursdays, Danville on Tuesdays, and Effingham on Wednesdays.

Wilson said they try to keep their fares inexpensive so more people can afford them.

“We do travel on the weekends, which helps a lot of the students if they need to catch the Amtrak,” Wilson said. “We provide later and weekend hours so they can do this.”

The service provides rides to the Greyhound bus station in Mattoon also.

Wilson said they cannot book out a whole bus to one group, because they are not allowed to charter out buses.

Services are available 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and from noon to 8:30 p.m. on Sunday.

To schedule a ride, students can call 217-639-5169 or can click the link through the Coles County Council on Aging, Inc. website.

She said the thing she likes the most about the Dial-a-Ride service is helping passengers get to where they need to go.

“I like being able to help them because it gives them back their livelihood,” Wilson said.

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].