City of Winnipeg moving closer to changing Transit Plus trip scheduling
Service urged to move from priority-based system to one based on when ride requests are made
The City of Winnipeg is moving toward a different way of scheduling trips on its Transit Plus service.
It is also under pressure to change how drivers with the service for Winnipeggers with disabilities, formerly known as Handi-Transit, are treated.
A report to the city's infrastructure and public works committee outlines how Transit Plus can change its ride-booking system from a priority system for scheduling rides to one that assigns them based on the order in which requests are received.
The trip priority system ranks trips based on their purpose — so trips for work or medical appointments, for example, get higher priority than trips for recreational purposes.
A new system would assigns rides based on when they're received through an automated scheduling process.
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Patrick Stewart with the Independent Living Resource Centre told councillors at the committee's Wednesday meeting that the trip priority system pits the needs of one Transit Plus user against those of another.
"Worse, and most destructive, it creates the rationing of services," Stewart said.
Winnipeg is the only city in the country that uses this type of system, Stewart told councillors.
"Certainly the system doesn't work," he said. "Are we saying that we're the only city in the country that's providing para-transit services in the right way?"
The city faces little choice in making the changes. It was directed to do so in a report on Transit Plus by the Manitoba Ombudsman, and is also required to comply with the province's Accessibility for Manitobans Act.
The legislation says that transit operators can't have a policies that restrict or limit access to a transit service.
"The legislation is quite explicit. The prioritization service would be illegitimate," Stewart said.
Driver says certificate suspended for taking breaks
Harpreet Singh told councillors on the public works committee that he drove for Transit Plus for four years, until this past March. He said his driving certificate was suspended by Transit Plus after he took a few breaks when he was tired, or needed to get something to eat or use the washroom.
Transit Plus drivers work for contractors to the city to provide the service.
Singh says he drove six days a week, often 12 hours a day. He rarely got a break, made near minimum wage and was never paid any overtime.
"Drivers don't want to come [forward] and say it because they [will] lose their jobs, like me," Singh told reporters after he spoke to the committee. "All drivers are scared."
He says he is making ends meet these says by delivering food and occasionally driving a cab.
Singh's case is in arbitration and is being championed by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505. The union represents approximately 20 Transit Plus drivers, and is trying to organize more.
ATU vice-president James Van Gerwen calls the city's Transit Plus system "murky," with contractors and subcontractors, and says it needs widespread change.
"We are lowering our standards as a city. Compared to all other cities within Canada, as far as I know, this is a unique situation," Van Gerwen said.
He pointed to Brandon, where paratransit drivers are paid more than other city transit drivers.
"They know they are taking care of passengers that are in need of special situations," Van Gerwen said.
Winnipeg Transit officials said they could not speak about Singh's case because it was in arbitration.
"When something occurs — and I'm speaking generally — there is consultation and discussion with the contractor," Transit director Greg Ewankiw said.
"[However], the permit is Transit's permit. So if there's a decision to pull the permit, it's in conjunction, in the decision-making process, with the contractor. But ultimately, it is Transit that has the permit."
Ewankiw told councillors the city has an "expectation the contractor is following employment standards," but if city council directed breaks be provided to drivers, that would require study by the department, and would involve legal issues and costs.
The public works committee ultimately decided not to direct Transit to mandate breaks for drivers, but said the service should consider what they'd heard as information.
