Layover and Multiple Stops Policy

Policy Statement

The purpose of this policy is to define the standard guidelines and rules regarding customer travel from an origin to a destination, as well as the exceptions that allow for a layover.

Scope

This policy applies to all customers travelling on Wheel-Trans service.

Definitions

Alternative Service Provider is transportation (other than Wheel-Trans service) that is available for the customer’s children to use to travel to and from the school, or to the child care facility they attend.

Children are persons who are 12 years of age or younger who are under the care of a Wheel-Trans customer (parent or guardian).  If the child is a registered customer they are required to travel accompanied by a support person, who will board and exit the vehicle with them.

Destination is the scheduled location where a customer’s trip ends. The customer will exit the Wheel-Trans vehicle at the destination. The destination cannot be the same location as the origin.

Layover occurs when a Wheel-Trans operator makes a brief stop at a scheduled school or approved location, before the scheduled final destination, to allow the customers’ child(ren) to exit or board the vehicle before carrying on.

This is an exception to standard Wheel-Trans operating procedures, provided to parents/guardians of children who have no access to an alternative service provider.
 
Origin is the scheduled location where a customer’s trip begins. The customer will board the Wheel-Trans vehicle at the origin. The origin cannot be the same location as the destination.

Receiving Person is a person who has agreed to receive the customer’s child(ren) at the curb at the layover destination for the outbound trip, and has agreed to bring the customer’s child(ren) to the curb at the layover destination for the return trip.

Specified time is a time set by a 3rd party, which the customer has no control over. Some examples would include work, school or a medical appointment.

Trip begins at the customer’s scheduled origin and ends at a scheduled destination.  A customer must remain at the destination of a completed trip for a minimum of 45 minutes before being picked up for a new scheduled trip.

General Principles

1. There is no limit to the number of trips a Wheel-Trans customer can request and take in one day, similar to travel on conventional transit.
2. Each Wheel-Trans trip must be separately scheduled with a minimum of 45 minutes between the scheduled drop-off time of the first trip and the pick-up time of the next trip.
3. Layovers are not scheduled for customers without an exception (see below). For example, customers cannot request to stop at a location in between their scheduled origin and destination.
4. If the child is the Wheel-Trans customer and they are travelling with their parent/guardian who is not a registered customer, the parent/guardian will need to exit the vehicle with their child(ren). Wheel-Trans will not transport the non-registered parent/guardian without the child(ren).
5. If a customer pays with a PRESTO card, all trips scheduled within a two-hour window require only one fare regardless of the number of trips taken as long as the customer taps on to all vehicles using the same card in that timeframe.

Layover Exception Criteria

1. The Wheel-Trans customer is a parent or legal guardian of a child(ren).
2. The child(ren) does not have access to an alternate service provider.
3. The customer requires the layover because they need to arrive at their destination by a specified time. 
4. The layover address must be:
   1. Different than the origin or destination.
   2. A minimum of 1 kilometre from either the origin or destination.
      * Management can review addresses that are less than 1 kilometre but meet the other criteria.
5. The layover location must be approved by Customer Service and scheduled, an operator cannot accommodate a non- scheduled request for a layover.
6. Trips requiring a layover must be regularly scheduled (re-occurring weekly) and will not be accommodated for an occasional trip request.
7. The customer and the operator will remain on the vehicle at the layover address. If the customer wishes to exit the vehicle at any time, this will result in the end of their trip and the vehicle will carry on. If an additional trip is required it will need to be scheduled by the customer.
8. The vehicle will wait a maximum of 5 (five) minutes at the layover address.
9. For the outbound trip, when the vehicle arrives at the layover address, a receiving person must be waiting at the curb to receive the child(ren). If no designated attendant is present, the options for the customer are:
   1. the child(ren) and the customer can exit the vehicle and an additional trip will need to be scheduled; or
   2. the customer and the child(ren) can remain onboard and carry on to the destination.
10. For the return trip, when the vehicle arrives at the layover address, a receiving person must be waiting at the curb with the child(ren) ready to board. If no designated attendant is present, the options for the customer are;
    1. the customer can exit the vehicle and an additional trip will need to be scheduled; or
    2. the customer can remain onboard and carry on to the destination.

Related Documents

P-WT-CS-113: Door-to-Door Policy