Missing Scheduled Trips (No Show Policy)

Purpose

To establish a policy that provides procedures that follow Federal Transit Administration (FTA) guidelines addressing the issue of No Shows in Complementary ADA Paratransit Service, as well as Premium Paratransit Service.

Definition

A No Show exists when the customer (or customer's representative) has:

Scheduled Van Tran service, AND
The Van Tran vehicle has arrived at the scheduled pick-up point within the specified 30-minute pickup window, AND
The driver has waited at least two (2) full minutes beyond the beginning of the 30-minute pickup window, but the customer failed to board the vehicle, AND
The driver (while sitting in the driver's seat) cannot reasonably see the customer approaching the vehicle.

There has been no call by the customer or their representative to cancel the scheduled trip two or more hours prior to the start of the scheduled pick-up time, or the customer calls to cancel, but it is not two or more hours prior to the scheduled pick-up time.

Policy

When a No Show occurs, the driver will verify the No Show with the dispatcher. A Van Tran representative will attempt to call the passenger to determine if the reason for the No Show was beyond the customer's control. A customer will not be charged a No Show if Van Tran determines that the reason was beyond their control. After discussion with the customer, or if no contact is made with the customer and Van Tran has determined through investigation that the No Show was under the control of the customer, the No Show will be charged to the customer, and notification will be sent to the customer. The notification will contain information as to time, date, etc. and will give information as to the appeals process, though only a No Show resulting in suspension can be appealed. If a No Show occurs on the first trip, the return trip will not automatically be cancelled unless a reasonable effort to contact the passenger has been made.

Penalties

Calculations for penalties begin effective after the passenger's 20th trip.

The Van Tran computer system keeps track of each trip a customer has requested, scheduled, taken, cancelled and/or "no showed." When a No Show occurs, the computer will calculate the percentage of No Shows for that customer's scheduled trips for the preceding six (6) months. This will be calculated as follows:

(No Shows/(Scheduled Trips - Cancelled Trips)) x 100 = % of No-Shows.

All penalties imposed under this policy are first subject to the appeals process listed below. Penalties for No Shows based on a percentage of rides scheduled are:

3% - verbal contact, copy of policy mailed
5% - five (5) consecutive days suspension

For each successive No Show, the percentage will again be calculated. If the percentage is greater than or equal to 5%, each successive No Show (within six months of the last suspension and/or after the passenger has completed a minimum of 20 trips) will be given a suspension as follows:

2nd Occurrence: fifteen (15) consecutive days suspension
3rd Occurrence: thirty (30) consecutive days suspension

Van Tran will use a rolling six-month time period for the Scheduled Trips, Cancelled Trips and No Show categories. Any trips and No Shows older than 182 days or that resulted in a suspension will not be used in the No Show percentage calculation.

Appeals Process

Before an ADA-eligible person is suspended from Van Tran service, Van Tran will attempt to call the person, and will notify the person in writing of Van Tran's intention to suspend service. If the customer's file shows a caregiver, guardian or advocate, then a copy of the warning, suspension, and appeals process will be sent to that person also. The suspension notice will document the specific, verified occurrences of No Shows. The individual will have fourteen (14) days from the date of the letter to file an appeal with the ADA Appeals Coordinator. Once the letter requesting an appeal is received, an appeals hearing will normally be facilitated within the calendar month following the receipt of the appeal, pending the meeting schedule of the ADA Appeals Board. Trips on Van Tran to attend the appeals hearing will be provided free of charge and the customer will be able to schedule and ride Van Tran as usual during this appeals period. The customer, caregiver, guardian or advocate will receive a written decision from the ADA Appeals Coordinator informing the customer of the decision within thirty (30) days. If the customer does not file an appeal to the notice of suspension, then the suspension will become effective at the end of the 14-day period.

Get more information on the Appeals Process.

Incentives

Customers who keep their appointments reduce the cost of No Shows and reduce the cost per passenger trip. Van Tran will reward these customers based on the frequency of their trips and zero No Shows in a calendar year.

Customers who have zero No Shows and ride an average of six trips a week will receive ten free rides.

Free rides will be credited to the customer's account by February 28th of the following year. New customers will not be eligible for the No Show awards until they have been riding for a full calendar year.

Education and Assistance

Van Tran will make this policy and other policies available to our customers by including policy summaries in our Ride Guides, which are provided to all customers once ADA eligibility has been established. All Van Tran employees will receive initial training on this policy as well as updates and refresher training as necessary.

In addition, Van Tran reservationists will attempt to remind the customer when they book a trip that if they have to later cancel that trip, to do it more than two hours prior to the trip.