COLUMBIA, S.C. — The COMET is rolling out a new initiative to help make sure you get vaccinated.
The public transportation provider wants to make sure that if you choose to get the vaccine, you have free transportation to get you there.
“The COMET is going to be rolling out a transportation plan for those wanting to get the COVID vaccine," says Pamela Bynoe-Reed with the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority. "We recognize that there are people in underserved areas, people in minority communities, especially the African American communities that need transportation in order to take advantage of the COVID vaccine that’s going out.”
The initiative offers four transportation methods: the fixed routes already in place, the Dial-A-Ride Transit (DART) service for the disabled or one of two new Volunteer Transportation Reimbursement Programs (PUP and V-Trip) The Comet has recently rolled out.
“PUP and V-TRIP use Lyft, Uber, Taxi Services and a neighbor that can transport you somewhere, but you have to sign up for those programs. And we reimburse for a ride based on the mileage," Bynoe-Reed told News 19.
The vaccine transportation initiative plans to inform community members how they can take advantage of The COMET's services to get to a vaccine location.
“There should not be anyone, in our opinion, that is prohibited to getting to where they need to go, especially to get a vaccine to protect them from this cruel disease and this horrible pandemic," Bynoe-Reed said.
Full details on the initiative will be released next week. News 19 will continue to keep you updated.