People who rely on handyDART vehicles to get around were given a chance to share their experiences with the service in a public forum held in Coquitlam today.
It comes in the wake of a report that found the number of handyDART trip denials doubled to 37,690 last year, up from less than 5,000 in 2008.
The report says people with disabilities living in poverty need affordable transportation and that even a small reduction in the barriers for people with disabilities would result in large economic benefits.
Meanwhile, many handyDART say they’re becoming prisoners in their own homes.
HandyDART user Sandra Klein says there have been several times when she could not get the service.
“I have to phone a good week in advance, and even that is not a guarantee…It is annoying. I have exercise programs that I go to during the week and if I have to miss it, it is hard for me. So when I am phoning to get a ride and can’t get one, it is disappointing.”
Another handyDart user Gary Brown says the service is pretty restrictive.
“It is one of my main ways to get around. I believe strongly in the system, and it seems like they are trying to cut it back to nothing…I have to find an alternate way to get around. Public transit is just too hard to use, especially during peak hours.”
The handyDART service uses specially-equipped vehicles designed to carry passengers with physical or cognitive disabilities who need assistance to use public transit.
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The vehicles pick passengers up outside their residence and drop them off at their destination.
HandyDART user Dawna Wilson says she hesitates to call regular taxi to get around after getting injured in a cab in 2005.
Her caretaker Julie Rutter says cab drivers simply do not have the training the handyDART drivers do.
“HandyDART staff are very empathetic, especially with mentally challenged people. They know everyone individually.”
Wilson says she has missed doctor appointments because she was denied service.
“I am probably not going to get to go to all of my appointments, which I’ve had to cancel since all this came out. I am getting really stressed out. It really bothers me inside. It feels like the government or Translink does not want to help.”
In a statement issued to Global News, Translink says the 37,000 denials represent approximately three per cent of all trips provided.
“TransLink recognizes that demand for transportation services – for both conventional and custom transit – is growing. It is a TransLink priority to serve all our customers, while also making best use of our limited resources. Our current sources of revenue do not allow TransLink to expand transit service. Therefore, TransLink is working to find ways to effectively serve our customer’s needs while operating efficiently and within our means.”
NDP MLA and TransLink critic George Heyman says people are denied service way too often.
“We simply need to get on with funding to ensure that nobody suffers, particularly people with no options — like, seniors or people in wheelchairs, who need a service to get to their medical appointments, to see their family and have a bit of socialization, so they are not locked in their own homes.”
Heyman says taxis have a place in the system, but they are not a service that works for everyone.
“Where they are going to be of service, they need to be run by people who are very properly certified and trained and how to handle the clients.”
~with files from Tanya Beja
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