Media Release: HandyDART Riders Celebrate Positive Steps at TransLink

Tim Louis speaks to media

HandyDART Riders Celebrate Positive Steps at TransLink
Group eager to work with TransLink to improve HandyDART service

The HandyDART Riders’ Alliance says they are very pleased with the significant commitments made by TransLink’s CEO Kevin Desmond at today’s board meeting.

“TransLink has taken a number of important steps in the right direction today, and we are ready to work with TransLink in partnership to make certain these steps are a success” says HandyDART Riders’ Alliance Co-coordinator Tim Louis. “We are eager to work with TransLink to make immediate improvements and to evaluate future steps such as bringing HandyDART in-house as a TransLink subsidiary.”

Today, TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond committed to involving HandyDART riders in designing a ‘public sector comparator’ to evaluate the costs and benefits of bringing HandyDART in-house. He also announced that a new HandyDART advisory committee will include HandyDART riders.

“A public sector comparator has been a long standing request of the HRA and we are very pleased that Mr. Desmond has welcomed our proposal. We are confident that an independent study involving HandyDART riders will show that cost savings and better service can be realized by TransLink providing the service directly” says Louis. “But the growing population of seniors means the number of people with disabilities is increasing twice as fast as the rest of the population, and service levels are already inadequate. So we will also be working hard at the political level to get the increased funding needed to put more HandyDART buses onto the road.”

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For more information please contact:
Tim Louis, HandyDART Riders’ Alliance Co-coordinator 604 732 7678 or 604 738 0405
www.HandyDARTriders.ca