Haines residents shouldn’t try catching a ride on the Haines Borough’s shuttle, as manager David Sosa has clarified the shuttle is only for cruise ship passengers.
At its May 27 meeting, the assembly directed the manager to look into the possibility of allowing locals to ride the shuttle, which circulates between downtown, Dalton City and Fort Seward during the summer.
Sosa determined locals can’t ride the shuttle since it is paid for by cruise ship head tax funds, which can go only toward projects and activities that benefit cruise ship passengers.
While the fund has been used to fund construction of local sidewalks – which are obviously used by residents as well – the shuttle doesn’t qualify for use by residents, Sosa said.
“While a sidewalk can support many people moving along it simultaneously, a bus has a limited number of seats. Allowing local residents to ride can create a situation where those who are paying the tax cannot access the service they are paying for,” Sosa said.
Cruise ship passengers are issued identification cards/tags that shuttle drivers can use to differentiate between cruise ship passengers and residents, Sosa said.
A previous $1 fee for riding the shuttle has been discontinued.