handyDART service hours

Monday to Thursday	7:00 am to 10:00 pm
Friday	7:00 am to midnight
Saturday	8:00 am to midnight
Sunday and holidays	8:00 am to 10:00 pm

Service to Sooke is twice a week on Monday and Thursday

Office hours are: 8:00am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday

handyDART automated phone service

We offer an automated telephone service for your needs. All handyDART service can be reached by calling 727-7811. Customers can speak to a customer service agent by pressing 0. However, the service offers several other features.

Listen carefully to the automated voice and follow the prompts. The system will ask you what you want to do. You can press 0 to speak with an agent at any time during your call.

handyDART automated phone service touch-tone menu includes:

Press 1	to review or cancel a trip, if enrolled
Press 2	to book a trip, if enrolled
Press 4	to review customer profile
Press 5	for more handyDART information
Press 6	to transfer to the cancellation line after hours
Press 7	for help
Press *	to repeat a menu
Press 9	to return to the main menu
Press 0	to speak with an agent

Evening trip reminder calls

We will have the automated system call you the night before your scheduled trip. If you are not at home, we will leave a message on your voice mail or answering machine and handyDART will arrive tomorrow, as scheduled. Please listen to your automated message as your pick-up time may have been changed. If you do not get the message and the pick-up time has been changed we will call you in the morning.

Arrival notification calls

To reduce arrival time uncertainty, our automated system will call you 5 to 10 minutes before our vehicle arrives. You can stay in your residence or pick-up location with a registered phone number and wait for the automated call. You should be ready for pick-up and go directly to your pick-up location when you receive this call. If you do not want to wait for the notification you must go to the pick-up location at the start of your pick-up window.

Enrolling for handyLINE and handyWEB

To use handyLINE and handyWEB, you must enroll and be given a customer identification number.

Types of Trips

There are two types of trips:

• Subscription trips which are scheduled once a week or more often to the same location at the same time for a minimum of 4 months
• Reservation trips which are one time or occasional trips for any purpose at any time

Subscription Trips: To request this service, you must show one month of trip history with no changes in time, day or destination. During this period you must continue to book your own trips. Once your subscription trip is established, your trips are booked automatically. You only need to call to cancel trips. Subscription trips are cancelled on statutory holidays, except for renal patients. You must contact handyDART if you need to keep a trip on a holiday.

Reservation trips: These trips are scheduled on a first-to-call first-served basis. You need to book a trip in advance of the date required but no more than 14 days in advance. The number of days in advance depends upon the day and time requested. We have been able to provide some trips with as little as a few days' notice.

Booking a trip

To book a trip with a customer service agent, handyLINE or handyWEB, please have this information ready:

• Your name
• The day, date and time you need to travel
• Identify if you have an attendant or companion or service dog
• Your pick-up address - street name and number
• Your drop-off address - street name and number and phone number if available
• Your appointment time
• Your return trip pick-up time

There are three ways to book your trip.

1. Book directly with a customer service agent.
2. Use handyLINE, the automated telephone booking services. It is available 24 hours a day. You can book, review and cancel trips using your touch-tone phone. Call 727-7811 and follow the prompts.
3. Use handyWEB, the online booking services. It is available 24 hours a day. You can book, review and cancel trips by visiting www.handydart.com

1. Booking your trip with a customer service agent

Call 727-7811 and press 0 within the booking hours.

Customer Service is available:

• Sunday to Thursday between 8:00 am and 10:00 pm
• Friday and Saturday between 8:00 am and midnight

The booking lines are busiest:

• between 8:00 - 9:30 am
• between 3:00 - 5:00 pm

The handyDART booking office is not open on statutory holidays.

2. Booking with handyLINE

Call 727-7811 and listen carefully to follow the prompts. The handyLINE system will ask you what you want to do.

To book a trip with handyLINE

• Call 727-7811 and Press 2
• You will be asked for your customer ID number and PIN. Use your telephone keypad to enter the numbers, followed by the pound (#) key.
• You will be asked to indicate the day and time of the trip, the destination, if you are traveling with an attendant or service animal and if you require a return trip.
• You will be advised if the trip was scheduled or not available.
• If the trip is scheduled, write down the trip confirmation number and pick-up times. A trip confirmation number will help us track your trip if something should go wrong.
• If the trip is unavailable, call a customer service agent to try to book the trip. They can often provide a trip as they have access to more booking information.

3. Booking with handyWEB

Go to www.handyDART.com and enter your Customer ID Number and PIN and log-in. Follow the prompts on each page.

• You will be advised if the trip was scheduled, requested or not available. If the trip is unavailable call a customer service agent to try to book the trip. They can often provide a trip as they have access to more booking information.
• Your trips may be scheduled or requested. If the trip is requested, it can be wait-listed or placed on stand-by, call a customer agent to confirm the trip status.

Trip booking tips

If you have an appointment, book your trip based upon the arrival time. The agent or automated system will calculate the pick-up time required to have you to your appointment on time. Although other customers may be picked up or dropped off along the way, you will get to your appointment on time.

Many subscription trips are booked between 8:00 and 9:30 am and between 2:00 and 4:30 pm. During these times it may be difficult to take a trip. Try to arrange appointments between 9:30 am and 2:00 pm so you can take trips off-peak times.

Wait-listed trips

Your trip may be placed on a wait list if your requested trip can be provided but the pick-up time has not been established. We will provide all wait-listed trips. Once the trip is scheduled we will call to advise you of your pick-up time.

Stand-by trips

A stand-by trip means that there are no seats available to accommodate you. However, due to same day cancellations, a trip may become available. You must call the handyDART office 2 hours before your trip time at 727-7811 and press 0 to see if your trip can be provided.

Pick-up time changes

Due to trip cancellations or traffic delays we may need to adjust your pick-up time. We will not change the time more than 15 minutes for a one zone trip or 30 minutes for a two-zone trip. In all cases we will get you to your appointment on time. Please listen to your evening call reminder to see if your pick-up time has changed. If time changes are made in the morning, the dispatcher will call to advise you.

When your ride comes

When you book a trip, the handyLINE, handyWEB or customer service agent will give you a 30 minute pick-up window. The pick-up window is the estimated period during which you can expect the vehicle to arrive.

You should be ready to go to your pick-up location at the beginning of your pick-up window. If you are at a location with a registered phone number or you have a cell phone you will receive an arrival notification call 5 to 10 minutes before the vehicle arrives. Go directly to your pick-up location after you receive this call. If you are not available by phone you must be at the pick-up location at the start of your pick-up window.

Example: For a 9:00 to 9:30 am pick-up window, you should be ready at 9:00 am. You will receive an arrival notification call 5 to 10 minutes before the vehicle arrives. If you can't be reached by phone go to the pick-up location at 9:00 am.

You are not obliged to be at your pick-up destination before the start of your pick-up window. The handyDART vehicle will either wait or return during the pick-up window.

Other vehicles

handyDART may send a taxi or a private van service rather than a handyDART vehicle. If this happens, you can pay with an adult bus ticket or your SuperPASS, U-PASS or PROPASS. The full taxi fare is subsidized and paid by BC Transit. You are not required to pay the fare on the meter nor tip the driver.

Five ways to cancel a trip

To cancel a trip, please be ready with your name, the date and time of your scheduled trip, and the trip destination.

1. Cancel a trip directly with an agent, during booking hours.
   • Dial 727-7811 and press 0 or dial 479-0004.
2. Cancel a trip after booking hours.
   • Dial 727-7811 and press 6 or dial 479-0004 and leave a message.
3. To cancel when you receive a trip reminder call the night before your trip.
   • Listen and follow the prompts.
4. Use the handyLINE automated telephone booking services.
   • Dial 727-7811 and press 1.
   • You will be asked to enter your customer ID number and PIN (password). Use your telephone keypad to enter the numbers, followed by the pound (#) key. Follow the prompts.
   • The system will advise you if the cancellation was successful.
5. Use the handyWEB online booking services.
   • Visit www.handydart.com
   • Enter your customer ID number and PIN (password) and log-in.
   • Follow the prompts.

handyDART resources are limited and always in demand. We ask that you call handyDART and cancel a trip as soon as you can. By cancelling as far in advance as possible, you help us improve service to all our passengers.

What happens if I miss my pick-up?

If you miss your ride, call handyDART as soon as possible to arrange alternative transportation. We will not leave you stranded. If you know your appointment is running overtime, call handyDART so that the vehicle can be redirected and other transportation arranged.

What is a "No Show" or a "Late Cancellation"?

If handyDART arrives during the 30 minute pick-up window and you are not there, the driver will not wait. Your file will indicate a "No Show" and other trips booked that day will be cancelled automatically. If you need these trips, contact a customer service agent immediately.

A "Late Cancellation" occurs when you cancel a trip within two hours of your scheduled pick-up. It is very difficult to offer trips to other customers with short notice.

Both "No Shows" and "Late Cancellations" use limited resources and your cooperation in reducing these events is appreciated. If you frequently "No Show" or repeatedly fail to provide advance notice when you cancel a trip, you risk losing your handyDART privileges. Staff will contact you to determine the circumstance and to see what can be done to make handyDART work better for you.

Suspension of service

In order to ensure excellent service for all passengers, handyDART reserves the right to suspend service for any customer who consistently does not meet handyDART guidelines or for inappropriate behaviour. handyDART will contact you to discuss these concerns and provide a warning of pending suspension.