Second of two parts
Dallas Area Rapid Transit leaders say their troubled paratransit operation is almost fixed. They point to the data. Complaints are projected to drop this year compared to last year.
Let’s see for ourselves. The Watchdog requested 2014 complaint records from DART. The agency delayed by appealing to the state attorney general — even though I received the same type of records last year. DART argued that the complaint records are of no public interest.
Two weeks ago, I received the records. DART sent me 2,500 pages of paratransit complaints for the first seven months of 2014. The stack stands a foot tall.
I’m looking at the stack when I talk to DART’s supervisor of paratransit services, Doug Douglas. DART has about 11,000 certified paratransit customers and delivered 800,000 trips in fiscal year 2013.
Douglas tells me he sees improvements everywhere. He says problems with MV Transportation, the Dallas-based company hired by DART for $186 million over seven years to run its paratransit program, are “pretty much smoothed out now.”
Today The Watchdog speaks for disabled and elderly riders who suffer through poor service, then call DART’s complaint line to vent.
According to public records, here’s a sampling of what they say:
“Client reports the driver was a terror. He was weaving in and out of traffic and was speeding. Other vehicles were honking at the cab. The operator had music blaring inside the cabin.”
“Driver stopped at Starbucks for 20 minutes.”
“Driver snored while he was driving. His phone will ring. Then he awakes.”
“The driver stopped at a cellphone store.”
“Driver asked him if he ever had sex before.”
“Client states that the operator took a photo of the client.”
“When she got into the vehicle, it had a really strong smoke odor. Client states she said, ‘It stinks.” And the driver told her, ‘Shut up.’”
Client “is disabled and doesn’t know right from wrong. When she was in the vehicle the driver asked for her cellphone number.”
“Client states that the operator was badmouthing the Jewish community by making comments like, ‘Jews run the United States and that is why America is bad.’”
“Driver stated, ‘Look, I am tired of you people in this country. You people are stupid and selfish.’”
“The operator was very rude. Kept asking very personal questions about client’s income and was asking for more money.”
“The operator was driving fast and talking on the cellphone the entire trip and smoking inside the cab.”
“The driver told her if she didn’t like him she could drive her own car.”
Driver “stopped at a gas station, not to get gas, but to get something to eat.”
Driver “asked for a tip of $1.”
“Driver was sick and coughing really bad. She states that he didn’t cover his mouth.”
“Driver was lost and it was difficult to communicate with him due to a heavy accent and a lack of understanding the English language.”
“She asked the driver what his name was and he refused to provide it.”
“The driver banged on their door like he was the police.”
“Driver had shirt and pants unbuttoned when they arrived to pick up client. The client feels that there should be some type of dress code.”
“The driver went to some apartment and he got out and locked client in the taxi and took the keys. Customer states that he has been waiting for 15 minutes in the locked car. Driver came out with trash in hand.”
“Patron states operator was driving with no shoes and no socks.”
“Customer states this is the second time she has gotten a driver that was falling asleep. Customer states the cab kept slowing down in the middle of the street.”
“The cab smelled like dog urine.”
Driver “did not know where he was going. Driver was doing something on his cellphone and when he looked up, he almost hit a car.”
More training
DART’s Douglas responds to the criticism by reminding that drivers are required to participate in refresher customer service training classes.
“We have enhanced our training,” he says. Working with MV Transportation has “been a collaborative effort. Working together we have made things better.”
MV Transportation officials will not answer my questions. The company released a statement, similar to last year’s statement, citing its efforts to improve.
“Complaints [are] at their lowest level in 15 years,” MV spokeswoman Jennifer A. Wiley writes in her statement.
I look at my foot-high stack. 2,500 complaints this year.
Who will speak up for these vulnerable riders?
Note: In Friday’s Part One of this report, I quoted transit consultant Joseph M. Rubino criticizing DART. I should have included that he is hardly a disinterested observer. He has consulted for the transit company that lost the DART contract to MV.
Staff writer Marina Trahan Martinez contributed to this report.
Follow Dave Lieber on Twitter at @Dave Lieber.
