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Human Services director: three RIPTA-accessible vans to be delivered this summer, town to receive ownership after five years
Summary
Human Services staff said three 14-passenger vans with wheelchair lifts built to Coventry's specs should arrive in July; RIPTA will own the vehicles for five years before transferring them to the town, and staff proposed selling older vans and creating a fund for future repair or replacement.
Human Services Director Bob Robillard told the council that Coventry should receive three new 14-passenger vans with wheelchair lifts this summer that were built to the town's specifications under a RIPTA program. Robillard said the vehicles were expected to arrive in July after transport from the manufacturer's location and that the state agency (RIPTA) will hold ownership for five years before signing the vehicles over to the town. "They will be finished being built and and ready for delivery, the June...we should get them...we should be getting them in July," Robillard said.
Robillard said the vans do not cost the town to acquire initially; RIPTA will own them for five years and then transfer them to Coventry. He told council members the department plans to sell up to three of its older vans, likely keeping one newer small van, and to deposit sale proceeds into a capital/repair fund to cover clustered maintenance needs when multiple vehicles require service at the same time. The department also intends to set aside funds in a future budget (suggested FY2027) as a capital replacement reserve rather than financing or bonding a large fleet purchase in a single year.
Why it matters: the addition of three accessible vans expands local transportation capacity without upfront capital costs to the town, but Robillard noted maintenance, insurance and future replacement planning will require local budgeting.
