An Edmonton man who depends on the Disabled Adult Transit Service (DATS) to get around, is frustrated. Blaine Dalby has cerebral palsy and is hoping to move home to live with his foster mother.
“Watching the struggles he’s going through in his own apartment, we just decided that it didn’t make any sense. I live in this house and he lives there, it would just make it a lot easier if he could be home,” explains Blaine’s mother, Heather Graham.
However, the bus will not pick him up at the home because DATS is an Edmonton service and the home is outside of the city limits, by 20 metres. Graham lives on 41st Avenue SW, a location that wasn’t a problem until December.
“We were all notified, in this area, that we were going to be getting new addresses and so now my address is County of Leduc,” she explains.
The city limits sign is only about 20 metres away from Graham’s house but, DATS won’t stop. Currently, if Blaine wants to visit his mom he uses a neighbour’s house in Edmonton as a drop off point.
“They leave the door open for Blaine so that (he) can get in, and because it’s heated, DATS permits it,” Graham explains.
However, the house is more than two kilometres away, so Blaine is forced to ride his wheelchair down the road while his mother follows along on her bike.
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Blaine worries about his safety because many vehicles drive on that road.
“They drive very fast and i’m scared,” Blaine says adding, “They might not see me or I might get hit.”
Graham says she has tried everything to get DATS to come to the house, offering to pay the company an extra monthly fee to cross the city limits. Family and neighbours have even offered to build a heated bus shelter on the city road however, DATS maintains it is a door to door service, within Edmonton.
“We do get requests from people to drop them off at the side of the road and we don’t do that for safety reasons,” explains Lorna Stewart, a Director with DATS adding, “DATS is a door to door service so we really do like to make sure the person gets inside.”
Stewart understands the family is dealing with a difficult circumstance, saying she knows it’s only 20 metres however, a line has to be drawn somewhere. Stewart says DATS is a city service that is part of Edmonton transit, and its limits are the city limits.
“We only pick up and drop off to addresses that are within the city,” says Stewart adding, “There needs to be a boundary where out service begins and ends.”
Still, Graham says she is extremely frustrated, especially since the bus drives right past her house on its route.
“It makes no sense that they just drive right by the door and won’t stop.”
Blaine agrees. He thinks it is unfair that DATS drives past his house but will not stop for him.
“It’s very saddening that I can’t come home when I want to.”
With files from Julie Matthews.
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