Phillips Transit hosts 10th year celebration

It has been ten years since the Phillips Transit Authority started and with their ten year anniversary came a celebration last Wednesday at Stockman Terrace where close to three hundred enjoyed a free picnic what included cake, hot dogs, potato salad, cole slaw, chips and door prizes.

Running the event was Betty Hasler, the coordinator of Phillips Transit Authority (PTA) and the organization’s eight board members.

“This is our tenth year anniversary celebration,” Hasler told the PCN. “Ten years ago we started the Transit for the general public.”

The company was originally started to provide transportation for the Hi-Line Retirement Center, Malta Opportunities Inc. and the elderly. But later became a service for the community of Malta.

“We used to operate for the elderly and disabled,” Hasler said. “Then in 2006, we went under coordination and now we provide transportation to the general public.”

The PTA had no affiliation with the County, but the company is a self reliant authority.

“We are the only Authority in the State of Montana, which makes us unique,” Hasler said.

Hasler was impressed with the turnout of the two hour event.

“It’s wonderful,” she said. “It’s awesome and I’m glad everybody came.”

Hasler, Leslie Robinson and Don Nevrivy have been members of the PTA since its inception.

“It’s been very successful,” Robinson said. “The Transit is so successful. We’re one of if not the only services that go directly to the house to pick up someone. They don’t have to go to a bus stop, so it’s amazing what we have been able to do in this community.”

The company, which has charged service users one dollar per day since the beginning has done great in its first ten years of business providing paying work for its employees.

“In its first year, the PTA was made up of three employees (including Hasler),” It was reported in an earlier PCN issue. “There are currently eight employees at PTA and over the 10-years the organization has paid out $1,276,569 in wages and spent nearly $400,000 locally on such items as fuel, repairs, rent and office supplies. In that same time span, PTA vehicles have given 441,459 rides and traveled nearly 600,000 miles and earned nearly $60,000 dollars in $1 donations paid to ride the bus.”

To request the services of the PTA, call 654-5301. Services are one dollar a day until the patron goes back home. If services are needed again then another dollar will be charged.