One of the few “nice” things about Logisticare’s handling of the MetroAccess contract was the diligence and compassion many drivers displayed towards providing practical levels of service to MetroAccess riders, informal assistance that was effectively stopped quite hard when MV Transit took over the service.
Part of that compassion and provision of practical service was the pseudo “door-to-door” service many drivers gave riders, as opposed to curb to curb.
Whilst WMATA initially tried to include this in their “perks” accusations of the time, the simple fact of the matter remained that this informal arrangement drivers offered to riders was, in many cases, the only way the service could be made to work efficiently.
Its mandated and vigorously enforced absence may have effectively disenfranchised many riders, as well as risked placing others in physical danger.
Thankfully, MetroAccess seems to have finally recognized the need for providing a form of door-to-door service - In the recently distributed new Guidebook, MetroAccess has announced that it will be officially implementing a door-to-door service, effective from June 30th 2008.
The Guidebook has this to say about the matter - spelling mistakes are ours as a result of the scanning process.
MetroAccess implements door to door service June 30, 2008
Effective June 30, 2008, MetroAccess service will change from curb-to-curb service to door-to-door service.
Door-to-door service for MetroAccess means that MetroAccess drivers will escort MetroAccess passengers from the outermost exterior door of the customer’s pick-up address into the vehicle and from the vehicle to the outermost exterior door of the customer’s destination address.
Mpst customers will receive an automated call when the driver arrives at the pick-up location. The only exceptions would be when service is being provided by Metro’s taxicab partners or for group trip service to social service agencies. Upon arrival, if the customer is not present for boarding at the curb, the driver will proceed to the door.
To receive door-to-door service, the following conditions must be met:
- The outermost exterior door must be no more than 150 feet from the vehicle.
- The driver must be able to maintain sight of the vehicle at all times.
- There must be a safe and accessible path of travel from the vehicle to the door.
- There must be a safe place to park on a public roadway or public parking lot.
- The parked vehicle must not block or impede traffic.
If any of the above conditions are not met, the location is considered Non-Serviceable for Door-to-Door and the driver will render curb-to-curb service for one or both legs of the trip.
If a driver is at a location that is non-serviceable for door-to-door service, the driver must contact the Call Center to report to the dispatcher the reason door-to-door service cannot be provided.
Dispatch will attempt to contact the customer. Upon doing so, the customer will be told the problem, and asked to meet the vehicle at the curb.
Drivers at the door
Upon arriving at the door for a pick-up, drivers will knock on the door and identify themselves as “MetroAccess.” At public entrances, drivers may open the outermost exterior door to announce their arrival (and if the entrance has a second door nearby that leads to a waiting area, drivers may open the second door to announce their arrival).
The driver will show his or her ID to the customer; and ask the customer to show a valid MetroAccess ID card, prior to assisting the customer to the vehicle.
Who will provide and who will receive door-to-door service
All MetroAccess rides will now be door-to-door unless the origin or destination is deemed non-serviceable for door-to-door service.
The obligation to provide door-to-door service applies equally to all service providers in the MetroAccess system including taxis and other Metro service partners.
It shall be assumed that all customers expect this level of service unless they ndicate otherwise by being available for boarding at the curb.
Categories: MetroAccess | Tags: curb-to-curb, door-to-door, kerb-to-kerb, MetroAccess | By: .
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