HandyDART could meet the demand if only the people who really need to use it were using it.
There are plenty of people who are registered who could use public transit, and there are others who drive their own cars but they like being picked up at their door and taken to where they are going for the price of a transit ticket. There are quite a few people who don’t really need to use HandyDART, but if their doctor signs the form then there is nothing HandyDART can do.
Just being a senior does not automatically qualify a person to use HandyDART. It is not “seniors” transportation. It is transportation for people who cannot get to a bus stop or take transit by themselves.
There are many people who are registered who could help HandyDART to help them by using SkyTrain transfers. They could also help by booking rides at non-peak hours for things like shopping and hair appointments.
HandyDART has limited resources. That includes buses, hours of service and drivers to drive the buses. Some people get the impression that HandyDART is there for their exclusive use. Given that HandyDART is heavily subsidized and people only have to pay a transit ticket for a ride, many people have skewed expectations. HandyDART is not a limousine service. HandyDART is not a taxi service. HandyDART is and always has been a shared ride service.
The registered people are not special people. They are people with special needs. HandyDART can do only so much. Many people who use HandyDART really try to work with the system and policies. But many more treat HandyDART like it should be at their beck and call all day every day. Those kinds of people make it difficult for occasional users to get rides.
Joan Arque
Surrey