Paratransit Policies
Passenger Policies
Passengers are responsible for being ready and at the front door of the residence / facility where they are to be boarded at least 15 minutes before their scheduled time. If they know they will be late, it is their responsibility to call before the van arrives.
Drivers are not allowed to go into residences or other facilities to look for passengers.
To avoid delaying other passengers, drivers can only wait three minutes before proceeding
on their route. Fasten your seat belts. For your safety, drivers are not allowed to
put the vehicle in motion until your seat belts are fastened.
Restrictions
Passengers will not consume any beverages, use illegal drugs, smoke, eat, use obscene
language or behave in a violent or disruptive behavior, or play radios while on board
the van. Passengers will only bring on the van a number of packages / bags of groceries
which can be carried on board at one time. Drivers are not allowed to make several
trips carrying packages or lifting heavy items which could cause back injury.
Guests and Escorts
If you require an escort, one may ride with you.
Changes and Cancellations
Changes in pick-up times and/or destinations must be made with the scheduler one hour prior to the time for your scheduled trip.
If you need to cancel your scheduled trip, be sure to email at vans@uga.edu or call (706) 369-5991 at least one hour prior to your trip. Cancellations called in less than one hour of the scheduled pickup time will result in a "late calls" within a one-month period, eligibility shall be suspended for one week. Failure to notify us of your cancellation will result in your being charged a "no show." After a no show, you will be suspended from using the service.
No Shows
If a rider repeatedly misses scheduled Lift Service Rides, he or she will be recommended for suspension. Missed rides or “No-shows” are compiled quarterly during these time periods: January–March, April–June, July–September and October–December. After each quarter records are cleared. If a customer has four more or no-shows within a quarter, Riders will be issued a letter from TPS Paratransit listing the days and the time in which the no shows occurred. TPS Paratransit will review the percentage of missed rides occurring each quarter relative to total rides scheduled. For example, if between January and March a rider has scheduled 16 trips and missed 8 s/he has a 50% cancellation rate. If the percentage of no-shows is 50% or greater, a one-week suspension will be scheduled. A 30 day minimum notice will be given prior to scheduled suspensions. All suspensions will be limited to one week.
No-shows for reasons that are beyond the customer’s control will not be counted. Examples of excused no-shows include but are not limited to:
- Illness and/or hospitalization;
- Family or other emergencies;
- TPS Paratransit staff error;
- Inclement weather such as ice and snow.
Subscription Service
If you will be making the same trip three or more times per week, please notify the scheduler so that subscription service can be arranged, if time slots are available. Subscription service allows you to schedule all of your trips with one phone call or email. According to ADA, subscription service may not absorb more than fifty percent of the number of trips available at a given time of day.