TRIPS offering free rides for vaccine appointments

Anyone in Sandusky County who needs a ride to a COVID-19 vaccine appointment may get one free of charge through TRIPS Public Transportation.

The service operates 5 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays and 5 a.m.-noon on Saturdays. Rides may be scheduled weekdays, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. by calling TRIPS at 419-332-8091. Rides provided for vaccinations are round-trip. TRIPS will take passengers to their vaccination appointments, wait until appointments are complete, and take passengers back home at no cost.

Rides normally cost $2-$4 per one-way trip, depending on the area of travel within Sandusky County. Great Lakes Community Action Partnership (GLCAP), which operates TRIPS, received additional funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Rides for Community Immunity program to help passengers obtain vaccinations for COVID-19. The funding is vital for making vaccines accessible to all county residents, whether they have access to transportation or not.

“We don’t want anyone to not get the vaccine because of a lack of transportation,” GLCAP Rural Transit Director Jacquie Wells said.

“If you need a ride, schedule an appointment through TRIPS and we will help, free of charge,” Wells added. “We are also offering round-trip service for vaccination appointments for added convenience for our passengers.”

More information on TRIPS is available at www.glcap.org/trips.