Handi-Ride Changes
Attention Suffolk Handi-Ride Customers: Please click here for an important message.
Hampton Roads Transit is making changes to its paratransit service. These changes are intended to make the service more efficient. The same reliable service that you have come to depend on will continue to be there for you.
The key changes are as follows:
- MV Transportation (our current Paratransit service provider) will begin using local taxi services for some daily trips. This only applies to those customers who are able to use a cab. People who require a full-sized Handi-Ride van with lift equipment will continue to see this type of vehicle pull up to the curb. This service change will be more common during night and weekend service.
- Some ride times may be longer. They are currently set to a scheduled maximum of 60 minutes. That limit may grow to 90 minutes in some instances. This service change still complies with Americans with Disabilities Act limitations on the length of a planned Paratransit trip.
We know you have questions, and that’s okay. We’ve put together a list of frequently asked questions for you. Please see below.
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Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Changes to Handi-Ride Services
Q: When does this change go into effect?
A: The program will go into full effect on December 3, 2011. We will begin testing and gradually phasing in the program beginning Thursday, October 20, 2011 with 30-40 trips per day.
Q: Will I be told when making my reservation whether my transportation will be by van or cab?
A: Passengers who are being picked up between 4 a.m. – 5 p.m. will be told either at the time of making their reservation or by 6 p.m. the night before their trip is scheduled to be serviced by a local taxi. For trips on weekends or outside of the 4 a.m. to 5 p.m. timeframe, all trips will be serviced by taxi service. MV will continue to take all reservations as they do today.
Q: Who do I call if need to cancel a trip?
A: Continue to call the MV offices as you currently do. There are no changes to any of the scheduling and dispatch phone numbers.
Q: What does it mean when I’m told that my ride time may increase from 60 minutes to 90 minutes?
A: The maximum time a passenger could be scheduled to be on a vehicle will rise from 60 to 90 minutes. This does not mean all passengers will ride 90 minutes before they are dropped off. Raising the maximum trip time allows us to more efficiently schedule all the trips. If you have a scheduled appointment, you should schedule your trip by the arrival time needed. Currently the average trip length in time is approximately 37 minutes (far less than the maximum of current 60 minutes). The Americans with Disabilities Act restricts the maximum ride time to not exceed more than twice the time the trip would be on fixed route service.
Q: If I am being picked up in a taxi cab, will there be a chance that another Handi-Ride customer will be in the cab as well?
A: Yes, you may be sharing your ride with another Handi-Ride client. This service is still a part of public transit.
Q: Will other passengers be able to accompany me on my ride with the taxi? How many people will a cab hold if I am bringing another family member with me who is not a Handi-Ride user?
A: Depending on the type of vehicle being used (sedan or van), a taxi can hold between 4 and 5 total passengers. If you require a PCA or plan to have a companion(s); please share that information when making your reservation and please note, the same restrictions for additional passengers still apply.
Q: When the taxi is transporting a Handi-Ride customer, will they still be open to pick-up other customers?
A: The cab will not pick up any outside customers while performing Handi-Ride trips.
Q: If I need assistance to enter or exit the cab, will the driver assist me?
A: Yes. The drivers will offer the same assistance as the current Handi-Ride operators.
Q: How will I know which taxi is mine?
A: The taxi driver will have your pick up information the same way as the Handi-Ride driver does today. If there is more than one cab at your pick up location, ask the driver if they are your Handi-Ride vehicle. The current list of authorized cabs and the cities they are based out of is as follows:
Peninsula:
- Yellow Cab of Newport News
- Yellow Cab of Hampton
South Side:
- Yellow Cab of Norfolk
- Norfolk Checker Taxi
- Black and White Cabs of Norfolk
- Black and White Cabs of Virginia Beach
Q: What about my service animal?
A: Your service animal will continue to be able to ride with you. If you plan to bring a service animal on your trip, please share that information when making your reservation.
Q: Why was Hampton Roads Transportation, Inc. chosen to be the taxi operator for the Handi-Ride service?
A: Hampton Roads Transportation, Inc. dispatches six area cab companies, and together, they operate 271 cabs and maintain a fleet with no vehicle older than 8 years. Each is equipped with mobile data terminals tied to a central dispatch system. All cabs have digital video camera systems and panic buttons. The fleet is maintained by one of two company owned garages providing scheduled preventative maintenance every 3000 miles with extensive service history documentation. They are the only local cab company operating handicap accessible cabs as part of their overall fleet. They meet MV’s insurance coverage requirements of $1 million dollars. Local city requirements for cabs are $300,000 of insurance coverage with the exception of Newport News which only requires $150,000 of coverage. All cab drivers have a Federal background check and meet the same internal requirements for employees as MV requires for their own employees. MV and Hampton Roads Transportation fully comply with the drug and alcohol requirements set forth by the FTA and US DOT including record keeping and testing standards.
MV would not have been able to meet HRT’s request for cost savings if they had to coordinate and work with dozens of independent owner-operated cabs. Simply put, the subcontracting of trips and the resulting savings to HRT would not have been achieved without a cab company that has a significant fleet and financial capability to meet the requirements HRT places on MV Transportation. MV Transportation is contractually responsible for the performance of this contract and any liabilities that accrue from it. HRT must let them select and manage subcontractors as long they continue to meet the terms of the contract.
HRT wants to ensure a standard and consistent level of customer service as we switch about 40% of the trips from Handi-Ride vans to taxis. Hampton Roads Transportation has committed to MV and HRT that they can meet this challenge and provide our customers with service as good as or even better than they have received over the last seven years. These changes are estimated to save HRT at least $2 million dollars over the remaining two and half years of the MV Transportation contract.