Public Transportation

(205) 625-6250

Office Hours:
7:00am – 4:00pm
Monday – Friday
Call no more than 48 hours in advance, and no less than 24 hours in advance for your transit needs.

Holiday Closings:
New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day / Robert E. Lee Day,
Good Friday, National Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day

Demand / Response Hours:
8:00am – 3:30pm
Monday – Friday

To schedule your ride, call (205) 625-6250 no more than 48 hours in advance, and no less than 24 hours in advance. Be prepared to give the dispatcher the following information:

Your name
Your physical address
Your destination
Your requested pick-up time
Your need for a lift gate or wheelchair accessibility (not all busses are equipped)

Please call if you must cancel your ride after scheduling.

Fare Structure
Please have correct change. Drivers do not always have change.

Demand response within city/town limits	$1.50 per stop
Children, under 6 years old	$0.50 per stop
Demand response outside city/town limits, but within Blount County	$3.00 per 5-mile zone + $1.50 per stop
Children, under 6 years old	$1.00 per stop
Demand response outside county (medical reasons only) (4-hour minimum) (mileage starts and ends at BCPTS office):	Call BCPT for out of county rates (205) 625-6250

Discount coupon books are available and are issued by BCPTS drivers. A $15.00 discount pass has a value of $16.50. Passes have no monetary value and are non-transferable.

A parent or legal guardian must schedule rides for children under the age of 15.

No credits and no refunds.
Pay as you get on the bus.
Paying round trip is not allowed.
You must have correct amount, as drivers don’t always have change.
Counter checks are not to be accepted under any circumstances.

Mission:
To offer safe, reliable, efficient, and affordable transportation services to the citizens of Blount County in order to help promote a strong economy, conserve energy, and enhance lives with special emphasis towards serving the elderly and disabled, without discrimination against anyone, regardless of his or her disability, nationality, origin, religion, or gender.

Policies:

Service animals are welcome. Animals such as guide dogs, individually trained to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability are welcome to board the vehicle with the disabled person. The animal trained to work or perform tasks for an individual is to be under the control of the individual, not BCPTS. If an animal has created a prior incident posing a direct threat to the health or safety of others, the service animal will be excluded from service with BCPTS.
Aides and assistants may accompany patrons. One aide may be allowed to accompany a patron at no charge for the aide. Aides must be a minimum of 18 years old and must have the ability to assist the passenger with all needs. BCPT offers origin to destination service, meaning employees do not go to doors or porches. So, patrons must have a friend or family member accompany them if assistance is needed. As stated, no additional fees will be charged for the aide to accompany the passenger.
Zero tolerance will be given for substance abuse, harassment, and discrimination.
No-show designations will be assigned to any patron who is not present at the pickup location when the bus arrives, or who tries to cancel a ride after the bus is en route to the pickup location.
Suspension of service may be implemented after three “no-show” designations.
Wait times must be kept below five minutes. Please be prompt when the driver arrives at the pickup location, as the driver must be able to reach the next passenger on time.
Pickup time variations must be expected due to unpredictable traffic and weather conditions. Patrons must allow for a 30-minute variation. When making appointments, please take this into consideration.
Assistance boarding or debarking shall be limited to the opening of a door and offering of an arm.

Rules:
The purpose of the following rules is not to restrict passenger rights, but to to protect the rights of all, to ensure cooperation, and to ensure the safety of passengers and staff. All passengers are held to the same standards on the bus.

Passengers in violation of any of the following rules may be denied transportation, requested to leave the vehicle, banned from receiving future services, or, as a last resort, arrested and charged.

Abusive conduct toward drivers or other passengers will not be tolerated. Abusive conduct is defined as any verbal or physical act that is generally offensive, invades the privacy of others, or touching another person in a rude, insolent, or angry manner.
Passengers must respect drivers and other passengers at all times.
Passengers should not be intoxicated, disorderly, or disturbing the driver or other passengers.
Passengers should not create a safety hazard.
Fares must be paid when boarding the bus. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Do not lean or extend the body or articles from the vehicle.
No tobacco products.
No eating or drinking on the bus.
Proper clothing consisting of a top, bottom, and shoes must be worn at all times. The top of shirt must conceal the front side of torso. The bottom or pants must conceal from the waist down to approximately 18 inches. If the shoes are laced, the laces must be tied.
Speak to the driver only when necessary.
When de-boarding the bus, please wait until the bus has driven away before crossing the street.
No loud or distracting speech.
Use of profanity is not allowed.
No audio devices other than headsets or earbuds.
Passengers must treat each other with respect.
Seat belts should be worn at all times.
When traveling with an oxygen cylinder, it is the passenger’s responsibility to ensure that each oxygen cylinder is secured to prevent movement and leakage. Each cylinder should be loaded and secured in an upright position. Secured means that the cylinder is not free to move when the vehicle is in motion.
It is the passenger’s responsibility to ensure oxygen cylinders or other medical support equipment is never stored or secured in the aisle. The seating of the passenger requiring oxygen should not restrict access to exits or use of the aisle.
Since the release of oxygen from a cylinder could accelerate a fire, it is the passenger’s responsibility to ensure that each cylinder is secured away from sources of heat or potential sparks. Securing personal oxygen tanks are the passenger’s responsibility.
Aisles of the bus must be kept clear at all times.

The Blount County Public Transportation System is very proud to serve the Blount County community. BCPTS busses transport individuals to daily appointments, to shop, to buy groceries, or just visit with friends and neighbors. Among the types of services offered are demand response, routes for the Senior Centers, & the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP).

Accessibility
BCPTS furnishes reliable, reasonably priced transportation for our county citizens with disabilities that restrict mobility. The lifts and wheelchair securement systems designed for our vehicles are easy to operate and make transporting passengers very simple.

Our lifts are 30” wide. The lifts are designed to support a total of 650 pounds. If you have a special type of wheelchair, which will require a lift wider than 30”, please advise our scheduler, when you set up your trip.

The driver is able to assist with normal boarding and de-boarding. If further assistance is needed, be prepared to have someone accompany you. There is no charge for one assistant to ride.
Our transit agency requires that all mobility devices be secured when being transported and have working brakes for the safety of all passengers.

The definition of a common wheelchair is a mobility device with 3 or 4 wheels that does not exceed 30 inches in width and 48 inches in length and does not weigh more than 650lbs when
occupied. The device may be operated manually or powered. If your mobility devices don’t meet the above requirements, due to safety concerns we will request that these items be brought up to standards to eliminate safety hazards.