To many people who can’t drive or have no other source of transportation, the bus service is a godsend.

Some say that could change if state transportation officials implement proposed alterations to the system.

The Delaware Transit Corp. has scheduled a public hearing on proposed changes from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, March 22, in the second floor conference room of the Easter Seals building, 22317 DuPont Highway, Georgetown.

Transportation officials say the changes are only minor modifications, but Jesse Lanier, spokeswoman for CHEER, said that’s an exaggeration. The proposal calls for restricting scheduled pick-ups and drop-offs to an area within three-quarters of a mile of a fixed bus route. Pick-ups and destinations must be within the three-quarter-mile area.

Buses would still provide service outside the three-quarter-mile area, but DART would determine the schedule, not the individuals using the bus.

There are three fixed bus routes in Sussex County. One route includes Rehoboth Beach, Lewes and Sussex Correctional Institution; one goes to Georgetown, Laurel, Seaford and Bridgeville; the third is an intercounty route that goes to Georgetown, Milford and Dover. There are no fixed routes in the Millsboro-Dagsboro area. Kent County has 14 routes and New Castle County has 45 routes.

“I realize the state wants to save money and be more efficient, but the changes go against the spirit of what the paratransit is all about,” Lanier said. “They are forgetting people who live in out-of-the-way places on back roads.”

Lanier said CHEER representatives will attend the public hearing to protest the proposed changes.

She said Sussex County is the largest, most rural county in the state with the least bus service. Since the service started, buses were permitted to go beyond the federal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and provide scheduled door-to-door service for anyone in the county, Lanier said.

Now state officials want to comply with the letter of the law. “An ever-growing demand for paratransit services makes it necessary for DART to review the levels of services and adjust services as needed,” said Mike Williams, Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) spokesman.

“The ADA requires that we provide paratransit service within three-quarters of a mile of all fixed routes to provide equal access to public transit by individuals with disabilities,” Williams said. Trips will be divided into ADA and non-ADA trips under the proposed changes. “If your trip is not an ADA trip, you will still receive service,” Williams said. “The only difference is that you may be on board the bus a slightly longer time, based on distance, or you may be asked to adjust your be-ready time.”

As many riders as possible would be scheduled for non-ADA trips while in the past, most trips were for single riders.

Lanier said it would be difficult for some people to schedule medical appointments under that type of system.

Lanier said CHEER provides transportation services to centers throughout the county, and a pilot program provides transportation beyond centers to places such as medical offices. “But in an effort to provide the most efficient travel we sometimes rely on the paratransit program,” she said.