Q: What is a No-show?
A: No-Show is when you schedule a Paratransit trip, but then you:
- Without any notice to RTS Plus, fail to take your trip.
- Cancel the trip too close to your scheduled pick-up time to allow the trip to be rescheduled for someone else.
- Without any notice to RTS Plus, delay your scheduled trip.
- The driver arrives at a drop-off location and the rider delays the van by not getting off the van. Or when no one is at the location to receive the rider and the rider cannot be left unattended.
Q: Why do we need a No-show policy?
A: No-Show usually results in a wasted trip. This is very expensive and takes away a trip that could have been scheduled for someone else.
Space on the paratransit system is limited and costly to provide. RTS Plus drivers will wait for passengers for five (5) minutes (unless an accommodation has been requested) within the on-time pick-up window.
On-time Pick-up Windows
The on-time pick-up window for “Pick-up/Going,” is defined as being thirty (30) minutes prior to a requested pick-up time (within the ADA service area). For “Return Trip/Pick-up, the on-time pick-up window is defined as being thirty (30) minutes after a requested pick-up time (within the ADA service area):
Pick-up Prior to Appointment
The thirty- (30) minute pick-up window allows time for RTS Plus drivers to arrive to pick up riders before a requested pick-up time. Actual travel time to an appointment is to be no more than one (1) hour within the ADA service area.
Pick-up After Appointment
The thirty- (30) minute pick-up window allows time for RTS Plus drivers to arrive to pick up riders for a return trip from a requested appointment. Actual travel time for a return trip is to be no more than one (1) hour within the ADA service area.
RTS Plus drivers are required to make reasonable attempts to locate and alert riders who may not be able to identify a waiting vehicle. RTS Plus is required to ensure that the special instructions for alerting riders are included on run manifests or electronic trip transmissions and are available to drivers and dispatchers. If additional time is needed to access and board the vehicle, please ask the reservationist to add additional wait time to the schedule for you to board the vehicle.
If the driver is not able to make in-person contact with the customer, they will notify dispatch and will make a reasonable effort to locate and alert the customer by telephone. If contact is not made with the customer and at least five (5) minutes have elapsed from the time of the driver’s arrival, the dispatcher should instruct the driver to leave a “No-show” door hanger, depart the pick-up location, and record the customer as a “No-show” on the manifest.
Riders who are located or contacted by a driver’s dispatcher, and who indicate they are not ready or will not be traveling as scheduled, will also be recorded as no-shows. Dispatchers must enter notes into the trip record related to each no-show approved. Riders who do not call and cancel at least two (2) hours prior to the negotiated pick-up time will be recorded as “late cancels,” which is considered a form of no-show.
The ADA regulation allows Paratransit service to be suspended, for a reasonable period of time, when a rider consistently misses scheduled trips. The RTS administrative process for suspending Paratransit service is as follows:
- A rider may be subject to suspension for a predetermined length of time if they meet all of the following conditions:
- i. Have accumulated three (3) or more no-shows in a calendar month;
- ii. Have scheduled at least ten (10) trips that month;
- iii. Have no-showed at least 10% of the trips scheduled that month.
- Riders will be assessed points for same day cancellations, not being ready to travel and/or canceling at the door.
- The point system is as follows
- i. Same Day Notice is charged to the rider’s record if they cancel their ride less than two (2) hours before the pick-up window opens. The client will be assessed one (1) point.
- ii. Late Notice is charged against the rider’s record if they cancel their ride between thirty (30) minutes and two (2) hours prior to the scheduled pick-up time. The client will be assessed two (2) points.
- iii. No Notice/Cancel at the Door is charged to the client’s record if they cancel the ride less than thirty (30) minutes before the scheduled pick-up time, or they notify the driver when the driver arrives at the door they are not going, or the vehicle has waited five (5) minutes and the client is not ready to go. The client will be assessed three (3) points.
- Twelve points within thirty (30) days will trigger a review of the rider’s trip record. The review must clearly show the no-shows and late cancels were the rider’s fault, the vehicle arrived on time and waited the minimum time required, that the rider was notified that they received a no-show and the no-show was not due to a system no-show.
- Before suspending service, RTS Plus must notify the rider in writing, by certified mail, of the proposed suspended service, citing specifically the basis of the proposed suspension and describing the proposed sanction. The rider must be told which no-shows they are being suspended for. They have the right to question any of the no-shows recorded if they were beyond the rider’s control and appeal the suspension.
Q: How do I appeal my suspension?
A: You can appeal your service suspension by making a verbal or written appeal of suspension to the RTS ADA Transit Coordinator within ten (10) calendar days after the date of the Letter of Suspension, and no later than the date listed in the body of the letter.
Verbal request can be made by calling (352) 334-2650 or (352) 393-7826, Monday through Thursday, 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. Or you can send a written request to the RTS ADA Transit Coordinator at: Station 5, P.O. Box 490, Gainesville, FL 32627.
Or via email to crawfordma1@cityofgainesville.org and ask for an appeal review of the service suspension.
6. The suspended rider must be given a chance within ten (10) business days to be heard and to present information and arguments.
7. RTS Plus must provide the suspended rider with written notification of the decision, the length of time for suspension, and the reasons for it.
8. If a rider is shown to have abused the no-show policy and is suspended from the service, the following suspension times will be utilized:
- 1st suspension: A written warning
- 2nd suspension: 7 Days
- 3rd suspension: 14 Days
- 4th suspension: 30 Days (Could lead to loss of subscription service)
9. In accordance with DOT ADA regulations, Part 49 CFR 37.131(b), when a “no-show” occurs on the first leg of a trip, all later rides for the day will not automatically be canceled. It is the rider’s responsibility to cancel rides (service) they no longer need.
10. Failure to cancel rides that are no longer needed will result in the assessment of points from the current no-show policy. Each trip that is no-showed is assessed independently in accordance with ADA regulations. Riders will be assessed no-show points for each trip they no-show regardless of whether there are multiple no-shows for the same day.
11. If a schedule delay, bad weather, or breakdown causes RTS Plus to be late, and you decide to find another way to your appointment after waiting thirty (30) minutes from your scheduled time, please let RTS Plus know you secured another ride so RTS Plus does not send the van or assess points for a no-show.
12. If you feel you were charged with a no-show in error, call the ADA Transit Coordinator at (352) 334-2650 or (352) 393-7826 so an investigation can be completed.