91原创芒鈧劉s Dawn Collision is the latest Lower Mainland resident to run into problems getting where she needs to with HandyDART.
Collison, who uses a mobility scooter, said she has been using HandyDART for at least 10 years.
芒鈧揑 use it at least once a week,芒鈧� she said. 芒鈧揗ostly doctor芒鈧劉s appointments.芒鈧�
HandyDART is a service of TransLink that provides trips for people with physical disabilities, or who are unable to drive because of a medical issue.
The drivers take people from their front door to their destination. However, the service has come under increasing criticism in recent years as the number of refusals of service has increased.
Late in January, Collison contacted HandyDART for a long-planned trip to a doctor in Surrey. She had been waiting for an MRI for months, and her spot on the waiting list was up.
However, although she called seven days in advance, the maximum amount allowed under the HandyDART booking system, she said she was told there was no way to accommodate her trip.
It was the last straw for Collison, who feared she might have to wait another six months for an MRI if she missed this appointment.
She managed to find a friend who was able to drive her to her clinic, but Collision said it could have been worse.
芒鈧揟here are some people who don芒鈧劉t have anyone,芒鈧� she said.
She has also had issues in the past with timing. In some cases, she芒鈧劉s been told that she can book a trip one way, but won芒鈧劉t be able to get back soon. Some of her friends have used HandyDART for a trip to the bank, only to be left there for several hours because of scheduling.
芒鈧揟here are times when they芒鈧劉re excellent,芒鈧� Collison said. Some drivers are great and show a lot of compassion for their clients, she noted.
But she said at least one of her friends had so many problems, she quit using the service.
芒鈧揑t芒鈧劉s not good for seniors or disabled people to be housebound,芒鈧� she said.
Switching over to using taxis on a regular basis isn芒鈧劉t an option for Collison due to costs.
芒鈧揑 live on under $1,000 a month,芒鈧� she said.
TransLink denied or refused 4.4 per cent of all trips in 2013, according to Martin Lay, director of transit services for the Coast Mountain Bus Company, TransLink芒鈧劉s bus division.
Of those, 3.5 per cent were denials, in which there was too much capacity and the trip was turned down completely, and 0.9 per cent were refused, which means the client was offered an alternate time and the customer turned that down.
Of the 1.18 million trips in 2013, that would mean clients were refused or denied 51,920 times.
An internal Coast Mountain Bus Company memo uncovered last year by the HandyDART riders committee found that trip denials had increased by 670 per cent from 2008.
芒鈧揂ll demand trips are on a first come, first served basis, and therefore even medical trips can get denied, and even when customer calls seven days out,芒鈧� Lay said in an email to the 91原创 Advance.
Lay said the most common reason for trips being turned down is that they take place in a busy time window, such as between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
He said they are working on the issue. 芒鈧揌owever, without additional funding sources, TransLink is not in a position to expand services, either for conventional transit or for HandyDART,芒鈧� said Lay.
A pilot program started last year uses taxis to deliver some HandyDART trips at the same price as a normal HandyDART ride.
芒鈧揑t is important to highlight, customers will receive a trip by taxi only if it is appropriate based on their mobility requirements,芒鈧� said Lay.
Despite the issues, Collison said she will continue to use HandyDART, but she will also try to use the regular bus service more.
She also believes TransLink and HandyDART should listen to their users and clients, and work with them to create a better system.
- With files from the Burnaby Now.
