Rules for the Handi-Bus outlined

The Battlefords Handi-Bus has provided a much-needed service to people in the area for the past several years.

Yet there remains some confusion out there among the general public about who can use the service and what the rules are.

The News-Optimist received a letter from one individual interested in the service, who asked for clarification about the rules. She noted there were several conflicting opinions about those rules.

She states the various perceptions out there include: no one can ride except going to the doctor; anyone can ride it anywhere if you have taken it before; only handicapped people can use it with a doctor's permission: or no one needs a "pass," just get on with a walker.

Transit manager Al Love has acknowledged some of the confusion and noted part of it had to do with the fact the service started in the early 1980s as a service for seniors and people with disabilities.

Over the years, as demand increased and as the fleet has expanded to include three wheelchair lift equipped buses on weekdays and one bus in service weekends, "the committee that oversees the Handi-Bus has tried to maintain a balance of the needs of our riders as well as the expectations of our funders," said Love in response to the News-Optimist.

That funding, he noted, focuses specifically on the service's role in providing a service to those who are disabled.

"The Government of Saskatchewan's Transit Assistance for People with Disabilities program states that funding is for, 'The trips reported … as eligible public service trips were taken by riders with a disability (temporary or permanent) who are unable to use fixed route public transit by reason of a disability.' The agreement with the City and Town states 'Whereas in the Battlefords it has been identified there is a need to provide specialized transportations services for people with disabilities and to address this need.'"

Love explains in detail what the policies are for the Handi-Bus and how they accommodate riders with disabilities as well as others who rely on the service.

"Over the past few years a number of initiatives have been launched to try to ensure that the Handi-Bus is focused on fulfilling its mandate and at the same time being fair to existing riders as well. A customer registration program was implemented asking that potential riders provide details with regards to contact information and mobility challenges as well as listing mobility assistive devices and a reference from a therapist, agency or physician that could express an opinion, if required, concerning their need for specialized transportation. Dispatchers try to collect information and educate new and potential customers whenever dealing with someone they are unfamiliar with in an effort to ensure that transportation is provided to those whom the program is intended for. 

"We at the Handi-Bus receive a variety of requests, from those who truly rely on our service to those who feel a sense of entitlement, to those who think the word 'handi' means just that. We try to manage our customer base against our ability to service those clients.

"Do we always get it right, I doubt it, but we try to make the best judgments with the information we have."