Don't ditch your Dial-a-Ride pick up appointment

The Riverside Transit Agency has been proactive in curbing unnecessary spending for its paratransit service. As reported, RTA's paratransit service accounts for the majority of its operating budget and better policing paratransit bus spending is vital. RTA is exploring a revision of its policies aimed to reduce chronic no-show's for Dial-A-Ride bus appointments. No shows who ditch their ride create an unfair inconvenience for other passengers and waste RTA's operating resources paid for by the taxpayer. RTA must therefore do whatever the agency can do to minimize such government waste.

RTA proposes to measure the systemwide average for no shows and then identify passengers who significantly exceed this average.  Prior to suspending chronic no show passengers, RTA will conduct a detailed review of such riders’ trip history and no show frequency in compliance with FTA guidance.

After the end of each month, RTA will review passenger no show rates and compare the figures against the system-wide average. Passengers found to exceed twice the system-wide rate may be subject to suspension of services.

RTA plans to set up the following process for those who ditch the Dial-a-Ride one too many times:

• Passengers in violation of the policy will receive a warning on the first offense.
• Subsequent non-compliance could result in suspension of services for seven calendar days.
• RTA also proposes to issue 30-day notifications to chronic no shows prior to suspension which would include an appeals process in fairness of the passenger.

Have an opinion or idea to streamline RTA's paratransit services and combat government waste? Stay tuned for a public hearing period.