Track how many no-shows occur each month, which passengers are involved and how often, the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TRCP) said in a national survey-based report on no-show policies. This helps to determine the effectiveness of no-show policies and how well they're implemented. If more than five percent of scheduled trips result in no-shows, you may need to find ways to better inform passengers about the policy and/or to enforce it. But, until you know the extent of the problem, and its impact on your operations, you won't know how to address it.
Make sure passengers understand your no-show policy and what they need to do to cancel trips rather than simply failing to appear for them. You can do this through a website, through newsletters or through fliers or brochures delivered by mail or placed on board the program's buses or vans. Notify passengers of how many no-shows they're allowed to commit within a set time period and the consequences (temporary suspension of service, is typical) of exceeding that limit, the Maryland Rural Transit Assistance Program says. Many programs hang cards on door handles or send letters explaining this information. Also emphasize that, by failing to cancel in a timely manner, they may be depriving others of transportation services they may need.
To help reduce the likelihood that passengers will miss their rides, consider having dispatchers call elderly riders a day before the trip to remind them about when to be ready, the National Transit Research Center advises. They can also call nursing homes to ask personnel to have the rider ready 10 minutes ahead of time. This source also suggests having a dispatcher call a doctor's office to see if a passenger's visit can be rescheduled if inclement weather or poor traffic conditions make it impossible for the paratransit vehicle to get the rider to the appointment on time.
Make it easy for paratransit riders to cancel pick-up requests. Giving passengers the option to cancel online or leave messages on an answering machine could expedite the process. Several paratransit systems are using computerized interactive voice response technology, which lets riders use touch tone phone keypads to request, cancel or verify on pick-ups, the TCRP report says. Implementing vehicle tracking technology can give dispatchers drivers' exact location at any given time, which they can use to estimate whether drivers can stay on schedule and inform riders of any delays, which can lead to a cancellation rather than a no-show.
Some paratransit programs offer financial incentives to riders who are consistently available and on time for their requested rides. "Under an incentive program, several agencies offer free ride coupons or passes to passengers based on their having not accumulated no-show points during a specified period of time (typically 6 months)," the TRCP report points out. Keeping passengers informed of ways your company is trying to make it easier to request service, and keep them updated about delays and other ways to improve customer service may increase passenger satisfaction and, thus, improve no-show rule compliance.
