COVID-19 has curbed a popular transportation business in town.
Bitterman’s Driving Service has been forced to park all operations due to the virus.
“It’s just unsafe until they come out with a cure for this or some vaccine,” said founder Corey Vitaly of the service that drives people and their vehicles after they have been drinking or under the influence.
Bitterman’s has been out of work since March 16, when the service was forced to curb operations due to the close proximity of drivers and clients.
But it was a well-used service before that.
“We were doing really well before this whole COVID thing came through,” Vitaly said. “We did about anywhere from 100 to 150 runs a week.”
Since starting the business more than five years ago, Bitterman’s has kept impaired drivers off the roads with more than 20,000 designated driving tips in and around Vernon.
“We got a lot of people home save and saved a lot of lives,” Vitaly said, thanking the people of Vernon and area for their patronage.
“It was a good run. But we can’t put our lives on hold.”
If the virus and restrictions were to drastically ease within the next few months, Vitaly said Bitterman’s might have been able to survive. But, “I don’t think it (pandemic) is over yet.
“I think this whole thing is going to be a learning curve for every industry out there.
“Short of people shrink wrapping their cars, I don’t know what to do.”
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