Derek Neary
Northern News Services

FORT SIMPSON (Sep 18/98) - Leo Leahy knows how to get people around town.

The former owner of a Fort Simpson fleet of cabs and current school bus operator, Leahy kicked off a shuttle bus service earlier this month.

"There's quite a demand for it if you can just make it work right," he said.

The primary target areas are Wildrose Acres and Four Mile. According to Leahy, there are 60 families in those areas and some of them don't have their own vehicles. The cost for an adult is $3 while youth, considered to be under the age of 18, are charged $2.

A schedule has been drawn up and copies are posted around the community. The service begins at 7:25 a.m. every day except Sunday. There is also a lunch run, an afternoon run and an evening run -- ending at 8:30 p.m.

"It's all subject to change," Leahy noted, adding that customer demand will dictate the hours and routes as the service becomes established. Patrons are picked up at roadside.

The shuttle bus service, under the business name RJNS Services, is a private enterprise that was started with no grants or contributions, said Leahy.

He bought the 20-passenger bus in Edmonton. It has been approved by village council and he had a deposit on it since May.

The regularly scheduled service is a first for Fort Simpson, he added.