VERMILION COUNTY, Ill. (Chambana Today) — After recently learning that the Illinois Department of Transportation launched an audit on CRIS Rural Mass Transit, where it was found that the agency could only account for less than half of their expenditures over a couple of years, CRIS ceased operations on Friday January 2nd, where they served clients in Vermilion, Ford and Iroquois Counties, after IDOT froze their funding.

Danville Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. issued a statement on January 4, stating that the City of Danville will diligently work towards closing the transportation gap. “(We want) to ensure that both our citizens and our brothers and sisters throughout Vermilion County receive the help they desperately need.”

Williams said looking forward, that in order to help those outside this county, who were also served through this program, it will take addition time to resolve. “The City will require a passage of intergovernmental agreements between the City, State and other counties (such as Ford and Iroquois) should they desire continued services and/or contracts with individual entities such as Work Source and Community Action to serve their clients, we care very much about our neighbors,”

In order to make a smooth transaction happen, the City of Danville would have to gain procurement of equipment, hire and train drivers, and get additional fleet insurance. Currently, the city is reaching out to former CRIS RMTD drivers, with IDOT helping to get some of the current vehicles transferred for future use.

Mayor Williams also praised Steve White, director and his team of Danville Mass Transit for contacting every Dialysis center in Danville and voluntarily spent Saturday driving patients to their appointments.