Broken Systems

Over the past few weeks, I've heard the term "broken systems" in conjunction with disability-related issues more than a few times. The latest was this morning, in reference to an article in our paper about a woman complaining about the poor quality of services provided by Para Transpo, Ottawa's accessible transportation service. Her complaints focused on the exceptionally long wait time to book Para Transpo over the phone (45 minutes, in this case). Having waited for almost two hours on multiple occasions, I can understand her frustration.

That, at least in my experience, isn't the worst of it with Para Transpo. There are many issues I've faced with the service that have contributed to a lack of independence on my part. These have included:

• Only being able to book a day in advance. Not very helpful when you have a spontaneous outing, or possibly have to reschedule an appointment on very short notice.
• The chance that you many not even get your trip booked at all. I know the company has a lot of customers and only so many drivers/vehicles, but it really is a pain when you have something important to do, like go to a job interview.
• Para Transpo has a policy of a thirty-minute window, which means they could be a half hour (or more) early for you, or a half hour (or more) late. Not fun when you're waiting for a pick-up at night, in downtown Ottawa I can assure you.

Now, I have the utmost respect and patience for the drivers, schedulers, and people answering the phones, but Para Transpo is a seriously broken system. If the average hold time is 45 minutes, then one could assume that having a few more open phone lines might be a good idea to decrease that number? Or extend the window of opportunity for booking. Either way, something seriously needs to be fixed. Maybe even offer a "Top Three" type of service, so customers can get to certain destinations quicker.

Unfortunately, if this morning's article is any indication, that's unlikely to happen from the company's end as a representative from Para Transpo, when questioned, seemed to think that 45 minutes is an acceptable time to be on hold. To this individual, I would offer a challenge: Get up early every day for a week (including Sunday), sit by your phone for forty-five minutes or longer (while knowing you have other things to do during that time), and pray you get your desired booking. And for added effect, do it in the middle of Winter, without access to other means of transportation. Maybe after a few days, this person will understand what Para Transpo's customers are complaining about.

In the meantime, I know there are lobby groups in and around Ottawa and I'm thinking it's about time to get involved with one.   


Cheers