London transit to deliberate on how to better accommodate paratransit users

The London Transit Commission (LTC) says it will look at how the requests of specialized paratransit users can best fit into its 2023 work plan to improve service and accessibility.

The recommendations proposed by accessibility advocates include: adding same-day booking options, access to online booking, increased capacity on transit, more training for drivers, and finding alternatives so people don't spend as much time on buses. 

The commission heard suggestions and personal stories from paratransit riders, presented by advocates Jeff Preston, Jacqueline Madden and Wendy Lau at a board meeting Monday. 

"It's a first step so we'll see what they report back to us with," said Madden, who is also the former vice-chair of London's accessibility advisory committee.

"They have to develop a plan that they're actually going to implement so they can achieve some of the goals and that hasn't been done so far, so we're looking to see what happens with that." 

The specialized transit service offers door-to-door transportation for people with disabilities that prevents them from using regular bus service. Over the past few months, paratransit users have shared with CBC London the daily challenges they face with bookings and pickups.

The LTC will evaluate its work plan to see if whether implementing the requests will cause any risks to their current timelines. They will also look at comparative data on the performance of specialized services of other transit commissions in Ontario cities. 

"We actually have a lot of their asks already chunked out in that work plan," said Scott Collyer, who put forth the motion. "It's looking at metrics and making sure that we're actually making decisions by seeing comparators and having the basis of the best information possible."

Collyer says he understands the frustration of riders, recalling his personal experience with a broken ankle in November that required him to use a wheelchair for a few months. 

"I've certainly heard the firsthand challenges of getting around and we need to work harder at making sure that we respect and honour that promise that we're making to Londoners who rely on us to provide the best possible transit," he said.

Driver shortage part of problem

Kelly Paleczny, LTC's general manager told CBC's London Morning on Monday that one of the major issues they're facing is a lack of drivers. 

In 2019, LTC removed its mandate of drivers having 2,000 hours of experience driving large vehicles like buses to address the staffing shortage, but that led to many drivers not feeling as comfortable behind the wheel, said Paleczny.

"Voyago is our contractor here and they're having the same issues that we're having at London Transit in terms of attracting employees and getting the service ramped up back to where we want it to be," she said.

Madden was grateful for the community members who attended the meeting to show their support for the proposed changes, she said, adding that more than 50 people were planning to attend, but many were unable to due to a lack of available bookings. 

"It was a wonderful example of how the system works. There were a lot of people who even wondered if there could be a virtual option so their presence could be felt, and that option wasn't given to us today," she said. 

LTC is looking to review the booking system and how much demand for the service has increased this year, Paleczny said.

"We've extended the number of queues and call takers, but regardless of how many people you put there, once the trips are gone for the day, they're gone," she added. "I can say that the service levels over the last 10 years have increased by 56 per cent on Paratransit."

Board members and paratransit advocates are hopeful that they can come to a solution together. The LTC will provide a report at its next meeting on April 13.