Bus officials refute claims of low rider numbers

In the chambers of the Oconee County Council complaints have been registered that the free bus service in Seneca and surrounding parts of the county are plagued by low passenger numbers. But the executive director of “CAT”—Clemson Area Transit—refuted those assertions last night at the Seneca City Hall. “CAT’s” Keith Moody spoke to a poorly attended public hearing last night at the City Hall. Moody says the critics are not seeing the entire picture. They may see lots of empty seats during routes at 10 o’clock in the morning. But Moody says the true picture is to check ridership during to work and after work times. Seneca’s “CAT” service counted 154 thousand passenger boardings during a year’s time. Asw he clarified for 101.7/WGOG NEWS, the boardings do not equate to 154 thousand people in a year’s time, but the times that people board the buses to be transported. Seneca’s bus staff administrators are Ed Halbig and Barbara Dyar. Halbig admits that there are some things that can be done to increase ridership, but he and co-worker Dyar are not market trained.