HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — Linda Shird said after running into several problems with HRT’s Paratransit, she feels like the area is putting the disabled community on the backburner.
Shird’s 52-year-old son, David Westbrook, has had a disability since birth that has prevented him from walking.
He had been using the transportation system since he was 18-years-old.
Shird told 10 On Your Side that when Handi-ride was still around, everything went smoothly.
“But once they changed the system, particularly after COVID, it became worse and worse,” she said.
She said in the past couple of years, they’ve ran into problem after problem.
“We made appointments, and they didn’t show up or they were severely late,” she said, explaining her concerns. “When we call for a return ride, they didn’t have one.”
She told 10 On Your Side the most horrifying incident happened in 2022 when they took the paratransit to the Hampton Coliseum so David could get a COVID-19 vaccination.
“When we called for a return ride, they didn’t have one,” she said. “We sat out in the cold for seven hours waiting for a ride to get home.”
However, the issue she said they face the most is that her son’s pickup times get changed without notice.
“David and I were going to a function and David was supposed to be picked up at 2:30,” she said. “They never came. So, he called, and they said, ‘Oh, your scheduled pickup time has been changed to 4. We’re stuck in traffic.”
She told us that’s an excuse they’ve heard often, and it’s one she doesn’t fully believe.
Westbrook said there was only one word that could sum up his feelings toward the situation.
“Mad,” he said, “You ask for a specific time on purpose and it seems like it doesn’t matter to them.”
A spokesperson with HRT told 10 On Your Side that they and their current paratransit operator, Via, are aware of the issues raised by Shird regarding paratransit services for her son.
They said they take these concerns seriously and are investigating.
He said they’re entering a new three-year contract with a proven provider of paratransit services, Easton Coach Company.
That contract will take effect on July 1.
His statement went on to read,
HRT’s paratransit service, operated by a contracted provider, helps thousands of riders with disabilities gain mobility and independence. Paratransit is available to those who qualify and live within three-quarters of a mile of existing fixed-route services. The lift-equipped, wheelchair-accessible vehicles operate in our service area: Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Hampton and Newport News. Riders must apply to qualify for paratransit transportation.
In May, HRT’s paratransit vans safely served 34,839 riders.
Westbrook said he doesn’t just want the issues solved for himself, but for the entire disabled community.