The shuttle service is reducing its days of operation, switching from daily to Thursday through Sunday service as noted in the new schedulebelow.Lack of riders continues to be a problem for Block Island Shuttle, according to taxi owner Judy Clark. Clark also serves as a shuttle driver in conjunction with the Motor Vehicles for Hire Commission. The shuttle runs between Old Harbor and New Harbor with a stop at the beach.But it is not being utilized.“No one is riding it. In order for people to ride it, it would have to be free, and it would have to run all over the island,” Clark said.
“The shuttle drivers are making about $5.20 an hour for their shift,” Clark said, based on her own number crunching. The shuttle service is divided into three shifts per day, split between multiple taxi owners. Besides the slow hourly earnings, the drivers are missing out on potential fares they could be earning by operating as a normal taxi.
“These shuttles are driving around empty,” she said, while the rest of the taxis are covering the demand.“If you let RIPTA get their foot in out here, they won’t make any money either.
