TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Amanda Parkman has relied on Sun Van to get around town for over 12 years.
"This is a service that Tucsonans rely on for daily living...things that people who are able bodied can take for granted," said Parkman.
In recent months, catching a ride has become more of a challenge.
"It's becoming more common that they'll be late. You'll have a pickup window, but they could be coming 15 to 30 minutes after that pickup window. That's 45 minutes to an hour outside of waiting for them," said Parkman.
Delays like this have led to missed appointments for Parkman. She said she's not the only one.
"On a van one day, one of the passengers we were picking up was going to their job. They were late to their job. They were an hour late," said Parkman.
Sun Van General Manager, Steve Spade, said the delays come down to two things: an increase in ridership and a lack of drivers.
"With the pandemic being over, people are traveling a lot more often. That's putting stress on the system because we're experiencing the same thing a lot of others are in the transportation industry...we can't seem to hire employees," said Spade.
Sun Van budgets for 160 drivers. Right now, they're 25 drivers short.
"Our employees all feel frustrated that we're not able to deliver the quality of service that we've always delivered. We are focused on making those improvements," said Spade.
Parkman hopes those improvements come soon.
"It's really important that we're not forgetting this population and that we have access to this service," said Parkman.
Sun Van is actively hiring drivers. To learn more and apply, visit suntran.com.
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