Your Ride/ADA No-Show & Late Cancel Policy

 

The Mass Transportation Authority(MTA) understands that because Your Ride requires trips to be scheduled in advance, riders may sometimes miss scheduled rides or forget to cancel rides they no longer need. MTA also understands that riders may sometimes miss scheduled trips or be unable to cancel trips in a timely way for reasons that are beyond their control. However, repeatedly missing scheduled trips or failing to cancel trips in a timely way can lead to suspension of service. The following information explains MTA’s no-show policy.

 

 

Definitions: No-Show, Pickup Window, and Late Cancellation

 

No-show

A no-show occurs when a rider fails to appear to board the vehicle for a scheduled trip. This presumes the vehicle arrives at the scheduled pickup location within the pickup window and the driver waits at least 5 minutes.

 

Pickup Window

The pickup window is defined as from 15 minutes before the scheduled pickup time to 15 minutes after the scheduled pickup time. Riders must be ready to board a vehicle that arrives within the pickup window. The driver will wait for a maximum of 5 minutes within the pickup window for the rider to appear.

 

Late Cancellation

A late cancellation is defined as either: a cancellation made less than 2 hours before the scheduled pickup time or as a cancellation made at the door or a refusal to board a vehicle that has arrived within the pickup window.

 

 

 

Definition: No-Shows Due to Operator Error or to Circumstances Beyond a Rider’s Control

 

MTA does not count as no-shows or late cancellations any missed trips due to MTA's error, such as:

• Trips placed on the schedule in error
• Pickups scheduled at the wrong pickup location
• Drivers arriving and departing before the pickup window begins
• Drivers arriving late (after the end of the pickup window)
• Drivers arrive in the pickup window and depart without waiting 5 minutes.
•  

MTA does not count as no-shows or late cancellations situations beyond a rider’s control that prevent the rider from notifying us that the trip cannot be taken, such as:

• Medical emergency
• Family emergency
• Sudden illness or change in condition
• Appointment that runs unexpectedly late without sufficient notice

 

Riders should contact the Your Ride operations center when experiencing no-shows or late cancellations due to circumstances beyond their control.

 

 

Handling Subsequent Trips Following No-shows

When a rider is a no-show for one trip, all subsequent trips on that day remain on the schedule unless the rider specifically cancels the trips. To avoid multiple no-shows on the same day, riders are strongly encouraged to cancel any subsequent trips they no longer need that day.

 

Suspension for a Pattern or Practice of Excessive No-shows and Late Cancellations

MTA reviews all recorded no-shows and late cancellations to ensure accuracy before recording them in a rider’s account.

 

Each verified no-show or late cancellation consistent with the above definitions counts as 1 penalty point. Riders will be subject to suspension after the meet all the following conditions:

• Accumulate 5 penalty points in one calendar month
• Have booked at least 6 trips that month
• Have “no-showed” or “late cancelled” at least 50 percent of those trips

 

A rider will be subject to suspension only if both the minimum number of trips booked and the minimum number of penalty points are reached during the calendar month. MTA will notify riders by telephone after they have accumulated 3 penalty points and would be subject to suspension should they accumulate 2 additional penalty points that month consistent with the criteria listed in this section of the policy above.

 

All suspension notices include a copy of this policy, information on disputing no-shows or late cancellations and how to appeal suspensions.

 

Suspensions begin on Mondays. The first violation in a calendar year triggers a warning letter but no suspension. Subsequent violations result in the following suspensions:

• Second violation: 7 days suspension
• Third violation: 14 days suspension
• Fourth violation: 21 days suspension
• Fifth and subsequent violations: 28 days suspension

 

Disputing Specific No-Shows or Late Cancellations

Riders wishing to dispute specific no-shows or late cancellations must do so within 5 business days of receiving suspension letters. Riders should contact the Customer Services operations center at (810) 767-0100, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to explain the circumstance, and request the removal of the no-show or late cancellation.

 

Appealing Proposed Suspensions

Riders wishing to appeal suspensions under this policy have the right to file an appeal request to the MTA’s Elderly and Disabled Local Advisory Council (LAC), which must be in writing by letter, fax or another appropriate format and addressed to the Chairperson of the LAC. Riders must submit written appeal requests within 5 business days of receiving suspension letters. Riders who miss the appeal request deadline will be suspended from Your Ride service on the date listed on the suspension notice.

 

The appeal may be mailed to:

Chairperson - Elderly & Disabled LAC

MTA

1401 S. Dort Hwy.

Flint, MI   48503

 

Appeals letter may be faxed to:

(810) 237-8712

 

The applicant’s appeal will be heard at the LAC’s next regular meeting. The LAC meets on the second Wednesday of every month at 10:00 a.m. in the Administration building. At the LAC meeting, there will be an opportunity to hear from both the applicant and the MTA staff. The applicant may present additional information at this time.  If a decision is not made within 30 days of the completion of the appeal process, the MTA is obligated to provide service until and unless it issues a decision to deny the appeal.  The LAC will respond to the appeal with a decision in writing, or other appropriate format within (30) days of the appeal hearing. The notification will give reasons for the LAC’s decision.