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Chatham Transit Network > Transit Service Policy

Transit Service Policy

TRANSIT SERVICE POLICY

Mission Statement

The mission of Chatham Transit Network shall be to initiate, provide, evaluate, and promote a safe, adequate, and convenient transit network for the citizens of Chatham County.

Description of Service

Chatham Transit Network (CTN) is a consolidated public transportation system operating in Chatham County, NC. CTN offers subscription, demand response, and rural general public transportation.

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation is available to all Chatham County residents. Out of county appointments will be provided at CTNs discretion.

All service is accessible to people with disabilities.

The vehicle fleet of CTN consists of 26 vehicles which range from 3 passenger to 21 passenger vehicles. All but two of CTN’s fleet vehicles are lift-equipped.

Service Area

Chatham Transit Network serves all of Chatham County including the municipalities within its borders. Chatham County is a rural county located near the center of North Carolina encompassing 707 square miles. The ridership is comprised mainly of the clients and consumers of the participating organizations. Destination points are at the discretion of the participating agencies and include transportation services to points outside Chatham County.

Days and Hours of Service

The holiday schedule will be approved annually by the Board of Directors to include 11 days and specify days of no or limited service. Clients can call the office for the holiday schedule or visit www.chathamtransit.org.

Office hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Dispatch hours are Monday through Friday 6:00 am to 5:00 pm. Offices are located at 127 Dr. M.L.K. Jr. Drive, Pittsboro. Consumers may call 919-542-5136 or visit www.chathamtransit.org for reservations, scheduling and information. Hours of service are Monday through Friday 4:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Reservations, Scheduling, and Cancellations

Passengers can request service from any pick up location within Chatham County to any drop off location within Chatham County.
Passengers should be ready at least one (1) hour prior to pick up time. Passengers with disabilities will be allowed adequate time to board and disembark.
The driver will wait three (3) minutes for a passenger to appear and then continue on the route.
Passengers who fail to appear and have not cancelled the reservation at least one (1) hour in advance will be counted as a “no show”. Agencies will be obligated to pay for their clients which are “no shows” unless the agency notifies CTN to terminate services.
Requests for transportation must be made at least 48 hours in advance before the trip. Requests for Monday must be received the previous Thursday by 12:00 pm and for Tuesday the previous Friday by 12:00 pm.

No Show Policy

CTN riders which are not agency sponsored are subject to the following:

Riders must call no later than one hour prior to scheduled transportation to cancel and avoid a no show. If a passenger is a no show, the passenger will be charged a fee. The fee will be equal to the amount of the scheduled one-way transportation fee. The fee must be paid before another ride can be scheduled. The fees cannot be paid through the driver, but will be accepted in our office or over the phone.

Fares

Subscription route service is funded by the contracting agencies and all payments to CTN are made by these agencies. Individual agencies may collect fares and/or donations from their clients to help defray the cost of transportation. These fares MAY be collected by the drivers at the agencies request.

General public riders must pay for their trip using cash, check, or pass. Fares must be paid when boarding the vehicle. Fares charged will be based on the most current CTN Fare Price Structure.

Passes may be purchased on the CTN website (www.chathamtransit.org) or by calling the CTN office.

Passenger Assistance

Passengers will be picked up from their designated pickup point and transported to the destination approved by the sponsoring agency. Drivers will only transport passengers to prior scheduled destinations.

Passengers are required to get to and from the vehicle without the assistance of the system driver. The driver will provide assistance in boarding and exiting the vehicle when the passengers are loading or unloading as a group. At individual stops the driver will assist the passenger to board or exit the vehicle only upon special request. A request for special assistance including buckling of the seat belt should be made with the trip reservation. The driver does not accompany passengers between the vehicle and the doors of the passenger’s origin or destination.

Passengers with mobility problems may receive assistance beyond boarding and exiting from the vehicle. Such arrangements will be allowed upon request with the trip reservation.

Children thirteen (13) years of age or under must have an adult accompany them.
Children shall never be left unattended on any vehicle.
Attendants (aides) are not required to pay for their transportation. Riders must notify CTN if an attendant (aide) will accompany them when trip reservation is made.
Service animals are allowed to ride CTN vehicles.
Passengers must furnish their own mobility devices.

Civil Rights and Reasonable Modification

Chatham Transit Network is committed to operating transportation programs and services without regard to disability, race, color, sex, age, creed (religion) or national origin in accordance with applicable federal statutes:

Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987
All other related nondiscrimination laws and requirements

Chatham Transit Network customers may request a reasonable modification if they feel they cannot fully utilize programs and services or if they feel a policy or procedure is discriminatory.

Passenger Conduct and Responsibility

Transportation can be denied or refused by the transportation system due to misconduct of the passenger. Disruptive or abusive behavior to other passengers or the driver will not be tolerated.
No profanity or vulgarity is allowed while on board a CTN vehicle.
No weapons will be allowed on a CTN vehicle.
Passengers are not permitted to eat, drink, or use tobacco products (including electronic cigarettes) in the vehicles.
All passengers must wear seat belts to insure the safety of all individuals in the vehicle. Passengers will be denied transportation services if they choose not to abide by the seat belt policy.
No screaming, loud talking, singing, or playing of loud music.
No inappropriate display of affection or sexual activity to the driver or another passenger.
No release of human waste, including spitting, on the vehicle. This does not include instances due to treatments, medication, or illness.
The driver will reserve the right to refuse transport to any passenger who appears to be intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.
The driver is responsible for the safe transport of all passengers and the on-board behavior of the passengers. All instructions from the driver are to be followed by passengers.
It is the responsibility of the passengers to alert the driver if they or another passenger are ill, injured or in distress while on the vehicle.
Passengers are requested to only carry what they can hold in their laps with the exception of assistive devices.

Passenger Comment and Complaint Procedures

Chatham Transit Network welcomes all comments regarding our transportation services. Comments and complaints should be forwarded to the Executive Director at:

Chatham Transit Network P.O. Box 1032 Pittsboro, NC 27312 (919) 542-5136 ext. 102

OR by visiting www.chathamtransit.org and selecting contact.

Passengers have a right to have their grievance heard. The Executive Director will respond to all complaints within seven (7) working days after receiving the complaint. If the passenger is not satisfied with the resolution of the complaint or if the complaint is against the Executive Director, the complaint should be submitted in writing to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors will meet within thirty (30) days and respond to the complainant within ten (10) working days of the meeting.

Transit System Responsibilities

Chatham Transit Network is committed to providing safe and efficient transportation to its passengers. Beyond safe transport, CTN strives to deliver clean, on-time, and reliable service. CTN is responsible for abiding by the policies detailed in other sections of this service policy and abides by all applicable federal, state, and local regulations. We are an alcohol and drug free workplace with mandatory alcohol and drug testing.

CTN is not responsible for items left on its vehicles by passengers.

Any and all information regarding any individual person served by Chatham Transit Network is strictly confidential. Information shall not be released to any party in any form without authorization in writing of the individual, the sponsoring agency, and Chatham Transit Network.

Safety

All passengers are to be seated and wearing seat belts when the vehicle is in motion.

Children under the age of eight (8) or weighing less than thirty (30) pounds must be secured in a car seat. Riders must furnish the car seat.

Each vehicle will carry the following on-board safety equipment: fire extinguisher, first-aid kit, bloodborne pathogens kit, web cutter, and triangles. Lift-equipped vehicles will also carry a traffic cone.

All vehicles will be equipped with cameras and radios.

Emergency Procedures

Cancellation of transportation service due to inclement weather will be determined by the Executive Director.

Drivers shall provide detailed and accurate reports of all accidents/incidents resulting in personal injury, damage to the transportation vehicle or another vehicle, or to other property.

Unless passengers are in a life-threatening situation, they are safer to remain on the vehicle and should not be evacuated. The driver must consider the location of the vehicle, the nature of the emergency, and the availability of help before deciding to evacuate the vehicle.