(Harlan, Iowa) – Officials with SWITA (the Southwest Iowa Transit Agency) in Harlan, report in their driver profile, Dwayne Hemminger has Driven for SWITA for the Past 18 Years. He provides taxi rides in Harlan two days per week and provides an average of 40-50 rides per day. He also provides shuttle rides to get disabled individuals from Harlan to Denison for work two days per week. Drivers like Dwayne are vital to rural communities, as they allow people to get around when they otherwise would have no access to transportation on their own.

SWITA serves eight counties in southwest Iowa and has 100 vehicles and 72 drivers. SWITA has special routes for disabled individuals who need to attend day habilitation services or work. The agency has work routes that transport workers to employers such as OSI and Monogram Foods. It also offers medical transportation, student transportation, has a summer fun bus, and provides a range of other transportation services. SWITA buses are ADA accessible, and service is open to everyone.

Dwayne has been proudly driving for SWITA for the past 18 years. He was born and raised in the Harlan area, and he owned a video rental store in town for 25 years with his late wife until online video services phased out his business. “I sort of took this job to supplement my income and it was a blessing in disguise,” Dwayne said. “I really like working for SWITA and it feels good to help people out who couldn’t get where they need to go without this service.”

Dwayne has two daughters who now live in Wayne, Nebraska and Springfield, Missouri, and he enjoys visiting them when he can and spending time with his two grandsons. He also enjoys spending time his free time working on his hobby of restoring old vehicles. He is an avid car collector and takes his 1957 Chevy pickup, which he restored on his own, to car shows for fun. “I think the best part about this job for me, is the people who ride on my bus,” Dwayne said. “I have had people tell me that they are so thankful for the rides I provide. I am 70 years old, and I could retire if I wanted, but I am not ready to stop driving for SWITA yet.”

SWITA operates vehicles early and late, pending vehicle and driver availability. If you find yourself in need of transportation for any reason, you can contact SWITA by calling 712-243-2518 or 1-800-842-8065 or get more information at www.swita.com.