Changes to HandyDART service in the works
A months-long review of HandyDART has produced a series of recommendations aimed at making the transit service for people with disabilities easier to use, reducing travel and waiting times and improving the delivery model.
TransLink undertook the review of HandyDART after receiving numerous user complaints about responsiveness to concerns, the standards and quality of HandyDART and taxi services, and the HandyDART service model and operations.
The door-to-door shared ride service is provided by MVT Canadian Bus Inc.
As part of the review, TransLink contacted other Canadian transit agencies to learn what HandyDART had in common with and how it differed from their custom transit services.
It also put together a stakeholder advisory committee to identify needs, concerns and objectives to improve service.
TransLink held workshops and individual meetings, and conducted an online survey to get feedback from stakeholders outside of the advisory committee.
“I think it’s a pretty comprehensive approach and it’s a grassroots approach going forward,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond.
The process produced a list of recommendations for policy and service delivery changes.
Making reservations easier, finding ways to reduce wait and travel times, implementing mandatory taxi driver training, imposing customer service standards on taxi drivers and integrating the HandyDART and taxi systems are among the suggestions.
To increase the availability of HandyDART, it’s recommended that TransLink build on its plans to expand service under the 10-year transit plan for the region by implementing what’s called a “family of services” approach and starting a travel training program for customers. This would involve working with customers based on their abilities to provide trip plans that could include conventional transit, possibly freeing up HandyDART trips in the process.
“Everything’s going to be a process that’s developed with our customers and over time,” said Tessa Forrest, manager of access planning. “We want to do this right. We’re not looking to rush the process.”
It’s also recommended that TransLink keep responsibility for registration but take on the customer feedback function, which is now taken care of by MVT.
Another recommendation is that when the HandyDART contract goes out to tender this spring, there is a requirement for the successful contractor or contractors to prioritize hiring existing employees.
One of the more controversial proposed changes involves the eligibility process. Many agree that it needs to be updated — TransLink is one of the few transit authorities that uses only paper-based applications — but the extent to which in-person interviews or functionality tests should be used is up for debate.
Jane Dyson, executive director of Disability Alliance B.C. and a member of the stakeholder advisory committee, said her organization has concerns about the idea of requiring a functional test as part of the HandyDART application process.
“It is something we’ve always expressed, that this would not be a very dignified way to expect people to qualify for HandyDART,” Dyson said.
Dyson said her organization supports most of the recommendations and welcomed TransLink’s initiative to review HandyDART and listen to ideas and concerns from the community.
The recommendations will go before TransLink’s board of directors for consideration next week.