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Riders waiting on HandyDART HandyDART’s funding woes almost made a Langley woman miss a medical appointment. by Matthew Claxton mclaxton@langleyadvance.com
SELLING LANGLEY ONE YARD AT A TIME
Langley’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. “I use it at least once a week,” she said. “Mostly doctor’s appointments.”
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HandyDART user Dawn Collison.
HandyDART is a service of Collison, who feared she might taxis on a regular basis isn’t an TransLink that provides trips for have to wait another six months option for Collison due to costs. people with physical disabilities, for an MRI if she missed this “I live on under $1,000 a or who are unable to drive appointment. month,” she said. because of a medical issue. She managed to find TransLink “Customers will The drivers take people from a friend who was able denied or refused their front door to their destinato drive her to her 4.4 per cent of receive a trip by tion. However, the service has clinic, but Collision all trips in 2013, taxi only if it is come under increasing criticism said it could have according to in recent years as the number of been worse. appropriate based Martin Lay, dirrefusals of service has increased. “There are some ector of transit on their mobility Late in January, Collison people who don’t services for the requirements.” contacted HandyDART for a have anyone,” she Coast Mountain Martin Lay long-planned trip to a doctor in said. Bus Company, Surrey. She had been waiting for She has also had TransLink’s bus an MRI for months, and her spot issues in the past division. on the waiting list was up. with timing. In some cases, she’s Of those, 3.5 per cent were However, although she called been told that she can book a trip denials, in which there was too seven days in one way, but won’t much capacity and the trip was advance, the maxbe able to get back turned down completely, and imum amount soon. Some of her 0.9 per cent were refused, which “It’s not good for allowed means the client was offered an seniors or disabled friends have used under the HandyDART for a trip alternate time and the customer people to be HandyDART to the bank, only to turned that down. booking be left there for sevOf the 1.18 million trips in housebound.” system, she eral hours because of 2013, that would mean clients Dawn Collison said she was scheduling. were refused or denied 51,920 told there “There are times times. was no way to accomwhen they’re excellent,” Collison An internal Coast Mountain Bus modate her trip. said. Some drivers are great and Company memo uncovered last It was the show a lot of compassion for year by the HandyDART riders last straw for their clients, she noted. committee found that trip denials But she said at least one of her had increased by 670 per cent friends had so many problems, from 2008. she quit using the service. “All demand trips are on a “It’s not good for seniors or dis- first come, first served basis, and abled people to be housebound,” therefore even medical trips can she said. get denied, and even when cusSwitching over tomer calls seven days out,” Lay to using said in an email to the Langley 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. “However, without additional funding sources, TransLink is not in a position to expand services, either for conventional transit or for HandyDART,” said Lay. A pilot program started last year uses taxis to deliver some HandyDART trips at the same price as a normal HandyDART ride. “It is important to highlight, customers will receive a trip by taxi only if it is appropriate based on their mobility requirements,” 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.