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Cesar Calderon backs the Para Transpo mini-bus into a parking spot outside The Ottawa Hospital’s main entrance. He’s here to collect two passengers.
The front of the bus kneels, a ramp extends out one side and Calderon wheels onboard a woman who uses a wheelchair. He returns inside the hospital, but is unable to find his second passenger. He waits for several minutes before notifying the dispatcher that the person never showed up.
“I can’t find the other passenger so I’m taking you home,” he tells the sole passenger.
No-shows are a big problem for Para Transpo. There were about 25,000 last year, in addition to an estimated 100,000 last-minute cancellations. (The service provided 800,000 trips in 2014.)
Finding a solution is something OC Transpo officials hope to do as part of an upcoming review of the booking process and eligibility criteria for Para Transpo, the door-to-door service for people whose disabilities make it impossible to use conventional transit. A series of public meetings begins Thursday at Ottawa City Hall.
Cancellations and no-shows hurt Para Transpo’s ability to carry other passengers, said Troy Charter, assistant general manager of transit operations.
Currently, there are no penalties. Para Transpo passengers with subscription bookings — that is, they have the same pick-up and drop-off location at the same time several days a week — receive several letters in the mail if they consistently miss their bus. If that doesn’t do the trick, the subscription could be cancelled and the person would be forced to use the on-demand booking system, which is available 24 hours in advance.
One of the questions officials will be asking is whether some kind of penalty may be necessary to help curb the number of no-shows and last-minute cancellations.
Eligibility criteria — and possible changes to it — is equally complicated. For example, there are situations when a person who would typically be eligible for Para Transpo could ride conventional transit so long as they had an attendant travelling with them. So, should this person be deemed ineligible for Para Transpo?
Conversely, if the eligibility net is cast wider and Para Transpo ridership grows, that could put added stress on a system that’s already under pressure.
Some of Para Transpo’s policies and procedures have also remained largely unchanged since the inception of the service more than 30 years ago, a time when accessibility wasn’t the consideration it is today. Charter pointed out that OC Transpo’s entire conventional fleet is now fully accessible, and there are ramps and dedicated seating areas at the front of buses for people with disabilities.
Para Transpo doesn’t currently prioritize trips – booking for cancer treatment or kidney dialysis has no more weight than a booking for a social outing or shopping trip, Charter said. Once the phone lines open, it’s first-come, first-serve.
But some wonder whether that should change. And if trips were prioritized, what would top the list — school? Work? Medical appointments? Leisure?
“That’s a difficult conversation to have,” Charter said.
On the surface, some people think medical appointments should take priority, while others think being able to get shopping done is just as important.
The average cost of providing a Para Transpo trip is $36. The customer pays the same fare as conventional transit riders and the remainder is subsidized through the transit levy on property taxes.
Para Transpo’s goal is to be on time 95 per cent of the time and to deliver passengers to their destination within an hour (there’s some leeway for rural riders or folks coming home after an event at the Canadian Tire Centre if the highway is clogged).
That’s why Para Transpo mini-buses are often seen only carrying one passenger at a time.
Charter says OC Transpo doesn’t want to load up the vehicle at the expense of the on-time performance standard.
Para Transpo is currently replacing its aging fleet of mini buses. The service is scheduled to receive 36 new vehicles by the end of 2015, with another 44 coming next year. The city also uses up to 80 contracted taxis at peak periods, which means service can be ramped up and down as needed throughout the year.
The public meetings on the Para Transpo booking process and eligibility criteria are happening at the following times:
Thursday, Sept. 17
Location: Colonel By Room, second floor
Registration deadline: Friday, Sept. 11
Tuesday, Sept. 22
Location: Festival Boardroom, first floor
Registration deadline: Thursday, Sept. 17
Wednesday, Sept. 30
Location: Colonel By Room, second floor
Registration deadline: Thursday, Sept. 24
Tuesday, Oct. 6
Location: Colonel By Room, second floor
Registration deadline: Wednesday, Sept. 30
To register for one of these sessions, visit octranspo.com, call 613-842-3636 ext. 2652, email consultations@ottawa.ca or fax 613-244-4329.
Customers who are unavailable to attend a session but still want to contribute are invited to provide feedback until Oct. 9 by filling out a questionnaire available on Para Transpo mini buses and accessible taxis or online at octranspo.com
mpearson@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/mpearson78
查看原文...
The front of the bus kneels, a ramp extends out one side and Calderon wheels onboard a woman who uses a wheelchair. He returns inside the hospital, but is unable to find his second passenger. He waits for several minutes before notifying the dispatcher that the person never showed up.
“I can’t find the other passenger so I’m taking you home,” he tells the sole passenger.
No-shows are a big problem for Para Transpo. There were about 25,000 last year, in addition to an estimated 100,000 last-minute cancellations. (The service provided 800,000 trips in 2014.)
Finding a solution is something OC Transpo officials hope to do as part of an upcoming review of the booking process and eligibility criteria for Para Transpo, the door-to-door service for people whose disabilities make it impossible to use conventional transit. A series of public meetings begins Thursday at Ottawa City Hall.
Cancellations and no-shows hurt Para Transpo’s ability to carry other passengers, said Troy Charter, assistant general manager of transit operations.
Currently, there are no penalties. Para Transpo passengers with subscription bookings — that is, they have the same pick-up and drop-off location at the same time several days a week — receive several letters in the mail if they consistently miss their bus. If that doesn’t do the trick, the subscription could be cancelled and the person would be forced to use the on-demand booking system, which is available 24 hours in advance.
One of the questions officials will be asking is whether some kind of penalty may be necessary to help curb the number of no-shows and last-minute cancellations.
Eligibility criteria — and possible changes to it — is equally complicated. For example, there are situations when a person who would typically be eligible for Para Transpo could ride conventional transit so long as they had an attendant travelling with them. So, should this person be deemed ineligible for Para Transpo?
Conversely, if the eligibility net is cast wider and Para Transpo ridership grows, that could put added stress on a system that’s already under pressure.
Some of Para Transpo’s policies and procedures have also remained largely unchanged since the inception of the service more than 30 years ago, a time when accessibility wasn’t the consideration it is today. Charter pointed out that OC Transpo’s entire conventional fleet is now fully accessible, and there are ramps and dedicated seating areas at the front of buses for people with disabilities.
Para Transpo doesn’t currently prioritize trips – booking for cancer treatment or kidney dialysis has no more weight than a booking for a social outing or shopping trip, Charter said. Once the phone lines open, it’s first-come, first-serve.
But some wonder whether that should change. And if trips were prioritized, what would top the list — school? Work? Medical appointments? Leisure?
“That’s a difficult conversation to have,” Charter said.
On the surface, some people think medical appointments should take priority, while others think being able to get shopping done is just as important.
The average cost of providing a Para Transpo trip is $36. The customer pays the same fare as conventional transit riders and the remainder is subsidized through the transit levy on property taxes.
Para Transpo’s goal is to be on time 95 per cent of the time and to deliver passengers to their destination within an hour (there’s some leeway for rural riders or folks coming home after an event at the Canadian Tire Centre if the highway is clogged).
That’s why Para Transpo mini-buses are often seen only carrying one passenger at a time.
Charter says OC Transpo doesn’t want to load up the vehicle at the expense of the on-time performance standard.
Para Transpo is currently replacing its aging fleet of mini buses. The service is scheduled to receive 36 new vehicles by the end of 2015, with another 44 coming next year. The city also uses up to 80 contracted taxis at peak periods, which means service can be ramped up and down as needed throughout the year.
The public meetings on the Para Transpo booking process and eligibility criteria are happening at the following times:
Thursday, Sept. 17
- Eligibility – 10:30 a.m. to noon
- Booking – 1 to 2:30 p.m.
- Eligibility – 3:30 to 5 p.m.
- Booking – 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Colonel By Room, second floor
Registration deadline: Friday, Sept. 11
Tuesday, Sept. 22
- Booking – 10:30 a.m. to noon
- Eligibility – 1 to 2:30 p.m.
- Booking – 3:30 to 5 p.m.
- Eligibility – 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Festival Boardroom, first floor
Registration deadline: Thursday, Sept. 17
Wednesday, Sept. 30
- Eligibility – 10:30 a.m. to noon
- Booking – 1 to 2:30 p.m.
- Eligibility – 3:30 to 5 p.m.
- Booking – 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Colonel By Room, second floor
Registration deadline: Thursday, Sept. 24
Tuesday, Oct. 6
- Booking – 10:30 a.m. to noon
- Eligibility – 1 to 2:30 p.m.
- Booking – 3:30 to 5 p.m.
- Eligibility – 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Colonel By Room, second floor
Registration deadline: Wednesday, Sept. 30
To register for one of these sessions, visit octranspo.com, call 613-842-3636 ext. 2652, email consultations@ottawa.ca or fax 613-244-4329.
Customers who are unavailable to attend a session but still want to contribute are invited to provide feedback until Oct. 9 by filling out a questionnaire available on Para Transpo mini buses and accessible taxis or online at octranspo.com
mpearson@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/mpearson78
查看原文...
