Statesboro’s city bus route set to begin late summer of 2021 has been postponed.

The 10 Ford chassis projected to arrive late summer will now take longer than expected, due to a “delay in manufacturing and delivery of the buses”, says Coastal Regional commission in a recent article with the Statesboro Herald.

Editor’s note: The following article has been updated to include recent developments. The original can be found below.

The city of Statesboro plans to throw excess relief funds into a city transit system that stretches through campus to downtown this summer.

Projected to be implemented by late summer, there will be four city buses, all wheelchair accessible and running from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Each bus will run either east to west or north to south with a scheduling app that allows passengers to request pick-ups or drop-offs up to ¾ mile from a typical route.

The federal and state governments are said to be covering the complete cost of the bus program for its first year to give the program a chance to grow.

“When we launch the transit system, the thought is the first six months we will not charge anything to ride the transit system, because we want to get people to start using it,” City Manager Charles Penny said in a City Council work session in May.

Students within the community under the age of 22 are offered a one-way 50 cent fare. Additionally, frequent riders can purchase a one-month bus pass for $30 or $15 if they qualify for discounted fares.

Ages 18-59 will be charged $1 per one way ticket,  whereas individuals with disabilities, ages 60 and above, as well as those aged 6-17 will be charged a fare of 50 cents. Those under the age of 5 will be able to ride free with an accompanying adult with a limit of three children under 5 per paying adult.