The first review of the AODA’s Transportation Standards became public in 2018. In this review, the AODA Transportation Standards Development Committee recommends changes to the existing Transportation Standards. In addition, the Committee also recommends action from other sectors of the province, to remove accessibility barriers that impact transportation. This article will discuss the Committee’s recommendations for clarifying booking requirements on specialized transit.
Clarifying Booking Requirements on Specialized Transit
The current Transportation Standards allow specialized transit passengers to book trips on the day of travel whenever possible. Alternatively, when same-day booking is not possible, passengers can book rides three (3) hours before the end of their specialized transit company’s hours of operation on the day before they travel. This mandate in the Transportation Standards recognizes that people need to take spontaneous trips as well as planned ones.
However, some specialized transit companies are unable to comply with this mandate, due to increased demand for specialized transit. For example, several specialized transit companies in urban areas experience shortages of buses or drivers. Therefore, they require passengers to book their trips at least three (3) days before the day of travel. In first-come-first-served booking systems, the routes for most busses on a given day are arranged within hours. As a result, people booking rides the day they need them do not get them.
The Committee recommends that specialized transit companies perform outreach to educate passengers about their policies and procedures, including for:
- Booking trips
- Delays
- Penalties for no-shows and cancelations
In this way, passengers will know how well their transit company complies with the Standards. Moreover, if a passenger’s company is non-compliant, the passenger can learn and follow the company’s alternative rules for booking trips. However, the Committee makes no recommendation that might help specialized transit companies comply with the Transportation Standards’ requirements for booking trips on the day of or before travel.