HandyDART users frustrated, say it's getting harder to book rides in Victoria

Kathryn Marlow · CBC News

· Posted: May 05, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

People who usage handyDART successful Greater Victoria accidental they are struggling to publication rides they utilized to beryllium capable to get easily.

HandyDART is simply a door-to-door autobus work disposable to radical successful B.C. who cannot usage accepted nationalist transit due to the fact that of disabilities. 

In Greater Victoria, registered handyDART users indispensable marque a telephone telephone to publication a thrust — there's nary online booking strategy — and request to bash truthful 2 weeks successful advance. 

But lately, users person said it is taking adjacent longer to get done connected the phone, and they are being told much often that the clip they request is not available. 

While immoderate person said they're disquieted it's due to the fact that of work cuts, the operator said that was not the case, though they did acknowledged that determination are less hours disposable now.

Marilyn Wolovick is simply a elder who uses the work to get to aesculapian appointments, workout classes and societal events. 

She, similar different users, said she has been incapable to publication lasting rides for regular events — i.e. her choir signifier which happens astatine the aforesaid clip each week. 

So, instead, she uses a spreadsheet to way her activities and appointments, and calls each time to effort to put the rides she needs 2 weeks up of time. 

But starting a fewer weeks ago, she said she's had nary luck booking rides for times that person ever been disposable successful the past — often aft waiting 30 minutes connected clasp conscionable to talk to a dispatcher. 

"It's conscionable overwhelming," she said. "And each time I person to spell done this."

She contacted CBC News due to the fact that she said she was told she couldn't get a booking owed to the fig of rides being limited.

She was not the lone 1 who said the same. 

Nancy Dombay, whose teenaged lad Isaac uses handyDART to get to school, said she has to telephone each greeting to publication his thrust to and from schoolhouse for a day 2 weeks successful the future. 

Some days, she said she's told determination are nary rides. She told CBC News she has heard from operators precocious that this is due to the fact that work was being cut. 

"We already person a stressful beingness with a peculiar needs child," said Dombay.

"The past happening we request is much stress."

BC Transit says work not being cut

When CBC asked BC Transit, which oversees handyDART, if determination were cuts to service, the archetypal effect was "no."

Instead, it said determination was a "misunderstanding" which "[led] to the content that work hours were being reduced."

In a aboriginal connection to CBC, a spokesperson acknowledged that determination are less rides disposable present than determination were astatine the commencement of the year. However, they again said it was not owed to work cuts. 

The spokesperson said it was due to the fact that determination was a surplus of hours disposable astatine the extremity of the past fiscal year, which person present been utilized up.

They besides said they are seeing an summation successful registrations, which has enactment other request connected the system. 

CBC News was not capable to really talk to anyone astatine BC Transit astir handyDART, but successful an emailed statement, the relation apologized for the disorder immoderate users had astir the changes.  

"BC Transit is alert that immoderate handyDART customers successful the Victoria Regional Transit System are experiencing challenges scheduling trips and we admit the frustrations this is causing," reads the statement. 

"Unfortunately, a misunderstanding of accusation was communicated to immoderate members of the public, starring to the content that work hours were being reduced. Our enactment apologizes for this, and we volition enactment to amended connection with our operating partners going guardant to minimize the accidental of this happening again."

Lack of equity 

To Craig McKinnon, it's conscionable different motion that radical with disabilities are not being treated equitably. 

He uses handyDART to spell to work, to aesculapian appointments and places with his kids — erstwhile he's capable to publication rides. 

He pointed out that it is nationalist transit and is truthful expected to service the aforesaid relation arsenic the autobus does to radical who are capable to usage modular options. 

"It's not a luxury, it's a lifeline," said McKinnon. 

For the past fewer years he's been pushing BC Transit to see handyDART successful the physics outgo strategy that was introduced for buses successful 2023, amended its website and reappraisal the operating structure.

"I conjecture the biggest interest I person is that it's not equitable to regular transit," said McKinnon.