Bartholomew County officials are considering going it alone on a van to transport veterans to the Indianapolis VA center for medical treatments.

County Commissioners received a report from the county venterans service office yesterday saying that the number of trips made by the sponsored vehicle have dropped to a level that the state is consideirng taking the vehicle back. County Commissioner Rick Flohr explains:

County officials say that the restrictions on volunteer drivers including the training requirements and the lack of reimbursement is leading to so few drivers volunteering that they can’t make the needed trips.

The county is currently operating with only two drivers Flohr says.

Rather than a reimbursement, drivers receive a $6 meal voucher that can only be used at the VA cafeteria. And the drivers frequently spend most of a day at the center for a trip.

And rather than a van, the provided vehicle is only a small SUV, further limiting the number of veterans that can be served.

Commissioners said that the county could spend up to $25 thousand dollars to purchase its own van.