Paratransit fails to get some disabled Londoners to meeting about fixing dysfunctional system

The point was made before the first word was uttered.

On Monday, some disabled paratransit riders who wanted to attend a London Transit Commission (LTC) meeting about improving service were unable to book a ride to get there.

“Many of them actually wanted to be here today but couldn’t get a ride,” Jacqueline Madden told the Commissioners at the start of a delegation by accessibility advocates.

“Paratransit has been a problem for as long as I’ve been here. We can do better, but to do that, we need to work together,” Dr. Jeff Preston urged.

People spend hours on the phone trying to book rides that often aren’t available, which can lead to missed doctors appointments and feelings of isolation.

In February, Dr. Preston began his latest push for service improvements at a meeting of city council’s Civic Works Committee.

He suggested a timeline to fix the inadequate and outdated system:

September 2023:

• same day booking
• smart card access
• driver sensitivity training

January 2024:

• online booking
• live bus tracking
• shorter travel times

Next four years:

• increase annual ride capacity by 10 per cent

On Monday, the LTC unanimously directed administration to report back on the impacts and financial implications of Dr. Preston’s plan.

“A lot of it is already on our 2023 Workplan,” explained LTC Chair Sheryl Rooth. “We’re already ahead of the curve I think, but understanding the 10 percent increase year over year, there is a cost to that, so we need to know exactly what that looks like.”

Preston called the meeting an important step on a journey that’s already taken a long time. “I’m eagerly awaiting to hear what they’re going to be doing next to try and fix this problem,” he said.

But like a cruel punctuation to his presentation, the dozen disabled Londoners who managed to make it to the meeting had to wait for the same paratransit system to take them home.

“Waiting to book a ride. Waiting for the ride to show up. Waiting for it to bring them back home. Frankly, we’re tired of waiting. It’s time to start taking action,” Preston told CTV News London as he waited outside London Transit headquarters.

The city funds 75 per cent of the cost of paratransit, but Rooth says improving service will require cooperation from all partners.

“It’s 100 per cent something we all have to work together on and we have to bring in the province too,” she said.

A preliminary report on improving paratransit service is expected at the April 13 meeting of the London Transit Commission.