London, Ont. taking first steps to improve paratransit service

London, Ont. politicians agreed to consider multiple requests to the city’s paratransit system that would drastically improve service.

Some of the improvements, if implemented, would allow paratransit riders same-day booking and smart card access by September of this year and to book online and have live bus tracking by the start of next year.

The requests were presented by Dr. Jeff Preston, an advocate and associate professor of disability studies at King’s University College, to members of the Civic Works Committee on Wednesday.

Preston told the councillors present, which included some non-committee members, about issues faced by people using paratransit. Preston said he asked people a few weeks ago to share their stories of using paratransit.

“We received over 40 stories that are startling, surprising, perhaps unsurprising for some,” said Preston.

According to Preston, some of the issues people have dealt with include being left at the curb after not being picked up, safety concerns, lack of respect and having to change their life to work around the “restrictive” booking system.

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To book a ride with London paratransit, riders must phone three days in advance of when they desire a ride. There is no online booking option and no same-day option. Preston says riders are often on the phone waiting for hours to book a ride.

Other cities, like Ottawa and Oakville, allow same-day booking for riders. Guelph and Hamilton, meanwhile, have online booking available.

“There are quite a few obligations that if you bend and look through a little prism, you can perhaps see ways the LTC is currently compliant with the obligation,” said Preston.

“But I think if you look at the experiences on the ground, we are far from fulfilling obligations set out by things like the human rights tribunal.”

During the committee meeting, Kelly Paleczny, general manager for the LTC, told councillors that the problems Preston raised are in the 2023 work program.

“They are all works in progress,” said Paleczny.

The other requests by Preston put forward for consideration are sensitivity training for employees by September, increased efficiencies to reduce travel times for riders by the next year and an increased annual ride capacity by 10 per cent within the next four years.

Paleczny told councillors the best way for them to support the requests from an LTC perspective is to include them in the city’s strategic plan and to support budget requests to implement the changes.

Paleczny added no implementation timeline could be provided until further study on the issue was done.

Following a discussion that was virtually entirely positive towards what Preston spoke about, members of the Civic Works committee voted to move the requests to the London Transit Commission for consideration of implementation.

The advisory committee for the LTC has its next meeting on March 6.