Find A Ride
SWNT’s services are open to all members of Shelburne County. We offer transportation both inside and outside of the County.
Pre-Booked
Due to our small fleet and the long distances that many of our riders need to travel to access medical care (which can bring a vehicle and driver out of Shelburne County for a whole day!), it’s important that all trips be booked as far in advance as possible (up to noon the business day before travel) to help us accommodate requests! We operate Monday to Friday (except holidays and snow days) from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with special requests for early/late, holiday or weekend trips handled on a case-by-case basis based on driver willingness and availability. Our dispatchers are on duty from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.
Door-to-Door
In communities as geographically spread out as those of Shelburne County, having bus stops is simply impractical. That’s why SWNT is pleased to offer door-to-door transportation; we can pick you up at your home and deliver you directly to your destination!
Supportive
If you have mobility challenges or require wheelchair accessibility, please let us know at the time of booking so we can do our best to match you with the vehicle that will be easiest for you to enter and exit!
Our focus for trips out of the Tri-County (Shelburne, Yarmouth and Queens) area is medical appointments, except in cases where wheelchair accessibility is needed. If you do require wheelchair accessibility, we’d be happy to provide transportation as our schedule allows for non-essential travel throughout the Province! For other Shelburne County residents and visitors wishing to travel long distance for non-medical reasons (including to and from the airport), we can help connect you with taxis, shuttles and bus services which may be able to assist!
We offer service throughout all of Shelburne County, with out-of-County travel available for medical appointments and other essential services not offered locally..
Do you or a family member have an appointment for your 1st, 2nd or booster vaccination, but need transportation to get to it? We can help get you there and back for free thanks to a grant from the Province of Nova Scotia and contributions from generous donors!
Booking a ride, in 3 easy steps:
- Pre-book your vaccination appointment according to the directions given by the Department of Health.
- Go to our “How to Book” section (just under this section, or under our main menu). You’ll find our ride booking process there.
- Follow our directions on how to book your trip.
(Please note: A parent/guardian must accompany young riders up to the age of 16. Trip requests must be received by noon the business day before travel, but we encourage you to book as far in advance as possible!)
Easily accessible. We’re the Way To Go.
COVID-19 Protocols
We have implemented COVID-19 protocols and procedures to protect everyone’s health and safety. Please ask us at the time you book what current policies are in place.
To book a service please use one of the following:
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Phone 902-637-2572 (toll free 844-637-2572) |
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Email [email protected] |
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Dispatch Hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday – Friday |
Bookings must be requested by noon at least one full business day in advance. The sooner you request a trip, the more time we have to accommodate your request. If emailing your request, please note your booking is not confirmed until we contact you back.
Leave a message about the trip you want to take, including.
- Name
- Phone number
- Your civic address
- Where you would like to go
- The date and time you need to be there
- Any other important details about the trip
- Whether or not you require wheelchair accessibility or have other mobility challenges we should be aware of.
A staff member will call or email you back as soon as possible to let you know if a ride is available, and to make any final arrangements. At that time you will also be informed of the cost of the trip.
On the day of your trip, you will be picked up at your door by a fleet van or car, or by a volunteer driver using their own vehicle, and taken to your destination. Then you will be brought back to your door again when your trip is complete.
Rates (Updated April 1, 2022)
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- For trips under 25 km (including deadhead for one way trips): $10 minimum one way, $15 minimum round trip
- For trips 25 km (including deadhead for one way trips) to 300 km: 60 cents/km single (including deadhead*) or 30 cents/km shared
- For trips 300 km +: 50 cents/km single (including deadhead*) or 30 cents/km shared
- Up to one hour of wait time is included in all round trip fares. After 1 hour, wait time will be charged at $5/15 minutes. (Out-of-pocket wait charges eligible for full subsidy for medical/essential trips where wait times are not in the rider’s control. Out-of-pocket wait charges may be waived or reduced if other trips can be scheduled during an extended waiting period (vs. driver waiting on site) or the wait time is shared with another rider.)
- Attendants always ride free!
- Local shuttle service for events: $25/hour, with 10 km included in each hour and then billed at our regular rate of 60 cents/km. If travel takes place over a meal time, driver meal may also be billed.
*One-way trips with single passengers will be charged as round trips because our drivers must travel the same distance, however we will do our best to combine passengers whenever schedules allow.
Fare reductions
While our rates are among the lowest in the province, we understand that because of the distances our residents need to travel to even local destinations that our fares may pose a difficulty for many of our riders who are paying out-of-pocket.
Some of our riders may be eligible for fare reductions.
Request fare reduction (printable form to be returned by mail)
Download Form
We are also able to direct bill the Department of Community Services and other third party funders, and can connect riders with funding programs that may help with transportation to essential travel.
Testimonials
“I would like to express our appreciation for the service Sou’West Nova Transit provides to our community. Their helpful, kind and friendly service is beyond any expectation. My mom started using this service when Sou’West Nova Transit first started, trying to keep her independence while living at home. Mom would tell everyone of this great new service, and I would joke with her saying, ‘If you keep telling everyone, they will be so busy you might not be able to get them when you need them!’ She was so happy and wanted to share the good fortune with others.” – Carole G