OATS Transit raises fares in southwest region

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OATS Inc. is raising fare rates in its southwest region.

The transportation nonprofit, which does business as OATS Transit, announced in a news release the fare increase would help offset rising operating costs.

"The fares are necessary to maintain current levels of service and will directly impact the company’s operating budget," officials said in the release.

Starting in February, the new one-way fares are $2 in town service, $3 in county, $4 adjacent counties, and $6 long distance, and $1 for stops en route.

Officials say the increases apply across OATS' 17-county southwest Missouri region, stretching from McDonald to Dallas and Douglas to Barton.

In Greene County, fares currently are $1.50 in town and in county, $2.50 for adjacent counties and $5 for long distance, according to the organization's website.

Columbia-based OATS Transit has a $25.8 million annual operating budget and more than 100 employees in the Springfield area, according to past reporting.

“We provide specialized transportation for thousands of Missourians, including the rural general public, senior citizens and people with disabilities,” said Jeff Robinson, a regional director, in a Jan. 9 Business Spotlight article in Springfield Business Journal.