Skyrocketing insurance and fuel costs threaten the solvency of NRoute

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — Vicksburg’s public transportation system, NRoute, is facing financial issues thanks to a myriad of increasing costs, including fuel and insurance.

In their board meeting Wednesday, May 27, held at the Halls Ferry Road location, Evelyn Bumpers, who moved to a consultancy role for NRoute in January, reported insurance for a single vehicle had risen to $25-30 thousand a year. Insurance company’s are charging $700,000 for the entirety of the city’s fleet.

Combined with fuel costs which have risen nationwide due to the ongoing conflict in Iran, NRoute will be unable to make an insurance payment due in the early part of June. The department leadership has reached out to Vicksburg’s Mayor Willis Thompson and Alderwoman Vicki Bailey for assistance to make the payment, but the city has yet to decide on funding the gap.

The city’s will be able to discuss the matter further at the next Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting to be held Monday, June 1.

NRoute was founded in 2006 and ran regular bus routes throughout the city. Over time, the organization became a transportation-on-demand system. People can purchase a ticket for a single trip, a ticket for a single day with up to three round-trips, or residents may purchase a monthly ticket which allows up to three trips a day. NRoute operates Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Although, NRoute’s leadership discussed providing service over the weekends and during evening hours, there was not enough of a need from the public to justify the cost.

So far in 2026, the service has provided over 17,000 rides for people in the community.

“Typically, our riders are on fixed incomes and who most need the NRoute service,” said NRoute Board member Don Brown.

Although the Board members were hesitant to discuss increasing fares, the service cannot continue to function without the increase.

“I was involved in getting NRoute to the community because I saw that the most vulnerable in our community were being charged outrageous prices by family and others for a single ride. They would charge $30, $40 or even $50 to give their elderly relatives a trip to pick up their medication. It wasn’t right,” said Brown.

NRoute currently charges $30 for a monthly pass which allows community members to take up to three round-trips per day. A single-day pass, allowing up to 3 round-trips in a single day is $4. and a single trip ticket is $2. Those prices have been in effect since 2006 when the service began.

The purposed new prices will be $50 for a monthly pass, $6 for a day pass and $4 for a single trip.

The board discussed options that would help generate revenue while being mindful of the impact on Vicksburg’s ridership, especially demographics with fixed incomes who can least afford the increasing prices.

NRoute currently has a fleet of 22 vehicles, with approximately a dozen in regular use. Those vehicles are purchased using federal and state funds with almost no direct cost to NRoute.

The Board has considered the need of a hiring an Executive Director but the funding is unstable.

“This is just my opinion, but I just don’t think we can afford it right now. There’s no use advertising for the position if we won’t be able to pay them,” said Brown.

The Board voted and approved advertising for the public to be aware of the increased prices and will wait for the outcome of Vicksburg’s leadership at the next BOMA meeting.

“If we get into the position of needing the city to cover costs again, we may just need to let the program go,” said Bumper. “I don’t want that. I birthed this baby.”