DESOTO COUNTY, MS (abc24.com) - The wheels on the bus may go round and round, but they don't go to Mississippi.
There's no public transportation in DeSoto County. The only way to get around is by car. The county's looking into adding a bus system and getting some help from Memphis.
MATA was already conducting a transit study and is now adding DeSoto County to it. The area is the fastest growing part of the Mid-South. DeSoto County supervisors say the timing is right to find out what the public wants
"There's not public transportation," says Sharunda Burdette. "Everything calls for a car. Sometimes cars break down or whatever. Taxicabs are a little high. Gas is high. It would be nice to have public transportation here."
"I really have not even thought about it," says Ginger Anglin. "I don't see why we need one, but it would not be a bad thing if we had it."
The county has $35,000 from the state and federal government to pay for a study. Since Mississippi doesn't have a bus system, it's going to Memphis and MATA to help conduct it.
"We'll talk with residents. There will be online surveys because the public is most important," says Alison Burton, MATA's Director of Marketing. "What are they interested in? Where do they want to go? How many times a week do they think they would be traveling?"
And where would these potential bus riders travel to?
Burton says, "To shopping or to school or for medical appointments, things of that nature. In that community some people don't have access to them because they don't have transportation."
"It might help people with the cost of gas," says Anglin. "Just depends on where the routes would be."
MATA says the survey will start in the next two months and will last about 90 days.
