Paratransit is a type of transport service where you can get a vehicle to pick you up at the front of your house and drop you off at your destination, thereby saving you a lot of time. It was then decided that paratransit services should focus on providing transport for people with disabilities.
As a disability worker, this is great news, especially since you can finally take your patient from place to place. Unfortunately, if one wants to order a ride from paratransit agencies, they will have to go through a lot. But that’s no longer the case since the transportation industry gave birth to yet another revolutionary technology—paratransit software. Here’s how that new technology aids disability workers:
- Displays Important Information
Usually, when a person orders a ride from a paratransit company, they won’t know the vehicle’s features until they see it. For instance, you won’t know if the vehicle has wheelchair lifts or rails until you enter. This can lead to a lot of guesswork for disability workers. After all, your goal is to ensure that your patient remains comfortable as much as possible.
However, Paratransit Software displays all the necessary information about the agency’s vehicles, such as the capacity and features. It may even show how many passengers are currently booking the same ride. As such, disability workers can avoid sending their patients to crowded vehicles, as they look for the ideal ride using the software. You should find at least one good ride since most agencies show all available services through their software.
- Showcases All Available Services
Paratransit is indeed quite prominent, but there are still certain areas with no paratransit programs. But that doesn’t mean you can’t compromise.
If you want to use paratransit services for your patient, you don’t necessarily have to look for services within your area. In fact, there are a few transit agencies that provide paratransit service to people outside their site and travel all the way to your area. You can look for these agencies with the help of paratransit software.
But remember, since they’re going as far as to travel to a faraway place, you at least have to schedule the ride several days ahead of time, and that should be relatively easy since most paratransit software also has a scheduling feature.
- Automatically Schedule Rides
If you’re a disability worker, there will be times when you’ll need to take your patient to their medical appointments. In that case, you will have to schedule the ride in advance. The problem is that there will be times where you may forget to schedule the ride. When that happens, you won’t have a choice but to use the public bus with your patient, which can be challenging.
Fortunately, most paratransit software has an automatic scheduling feature where you can automatically set the schedule in advance. For example, if the appointment is every Wednesday, you can schedule a ride every Wednesday of each week. That way, you won’t miss the ride.
In case of sudden changes in the appointment schedule, you can cancel the ride anytime, and to do so, you might have to contact customer service.
- Contact Customer Service
Automatic scheduling is not omnipotent. You might be able to cancel the ride with a single click, but it’s common courtesy to confirm the cancellation. For that, you will need to contact customer support. The good news is that you can contact customer service using paratransit software, but how does that help?
Customer service is a remarkable feature in all businesses. You can do a lot with it, and in your case, you can confirm that you have successfully canceled the ride. Either way, contacting customer service goes a long way in helping you have a better experience.
- Makes Transfers Possible
Transferring to a different vehicle is a rare occurrence in paratransit service, but the chances of it happening isn’t zero. It usually happens when a customer doesn’t like their current ride, so they transfer to another vehicle that hopefully is in a better condition.
This feature is usually found in the agency’s paratransit software. Of course, this may result in an additional fee, but that shouldn’t be too much of a problem since it’s usually affordable.
- Look For Affordable Services
Paratransit services are typically affordable and cost the same as public transportation. This is mainly because most agencies that manage these services are non-profit organizations.
However, not all of them are non-profit. There are also providers that make a business out of this, so they charge more than usual. The good news is that you can use paratransit software to look for the most affordable paratransit rides, but that’s only if your patient qualifies for the services.
- Sending Documents Is Easy
There are two types of paratransit services. The first one is the service that has been around since the early 1970s. It’s what regular people use to get from point A to point B without waiting for buses or trains. The other one is the type meant for individuals with disabilities. The latter is usually cheaper than the former, for obvious reasons.
Either way, if you want to use the second type of paratransit, you will first have to make sure your patient qualifies for it. To do so, you have to prove that your patient’s disability prevents them from taking public transportation.
Usually, you’ll have to send the service provider some necessary documents, and that’s where paratransit software comes in. Paratransit software allows you to send the patient’s documents so you don’t have to go back and forth with the agency. Additional documents and signatures can even be done electronically. This makes things a lot more convenient—not just for people with disabilities, but for their aid as well.
In Conclusion
Most people may consider it a revolutionary platform for disability workers, but that doesn’t mean using paratransit software is the only way to book rides. Patients have other options for medical transportation.
However, using paratransit software is also a convenient and safe option for both the patient and their aid. The ease of access, auto-scheduling feature, semi-exclusivity, and affordability of a paratransit service makes it possible for people with disabilities to travel safely.
