PORTLAND, Maine - A midcoast area transportation service will close as of April 22. Coastal Trans Inc. is a designated Department of Transportation provider that operates in a number of counties, offering rides to low-income seniors and transporting others to appointments and shopping areas.
Executive Director Lee Karker says Coastal Trans lost many of its MaineCare clients after the state switched to a brokerage system.
"In the end, MaineCare transportation used to be 70 to 75 percent of our rides and of our revenue," Karker says, "and that just declined dramatically after the brokerage system came in."
Karker says other subcontractors may offer more competitive rates because they operate smaller vehicles. He says Coastal Trans is talking with other providers to prevent a disruption in service. Fifteen people work at Coastal Trans.
