Accessible Transportation Niagara : How We’re Making A Difference
Nearly 15.5% of people living in Ontario have a disability of some sort. This can hinder their mobility and make it difficult for them to use typical public transportation services like city buses and subways. Thankfully, there is a solution.
Paratransit services are a community transport service that serves people with disabilities, their caregivers, and their family members. Cars and vans with ramps and other accessibility measures offer on-demand service, making it easier for those living with disabilities to get around their local region.
A municipal paratransit service has its limitations. For instance, the Region of Niagara’s paratransit services are only operational from 7 am to 10 pm, Monday to Saturday. These limited hours of operation can leave people living in the Niagara Region without the transportation they desperately need.
Truly Accessible Transportation
MUVE is a new specialized transit service coming to the Niagara Region. We strive to provide an on-demand, door-to-door transportation service in the region. People living with disabilities can enjoy having a professional transit service available to them at all hours of the day, any day of the week. All they need to do is call or contact a driver using our app.
Specialized Transit In The Region of Niagara, Ontario
MUVE’s transportation services can be planned in advance or requested on-demand. This allows people living with disabilities the freedom of knowing that there is always accessible transportation available to them. Whether someone living with a disability has a medical appointment they need to attend or wants to take a spontaneous trip to Niagara Region, they know they can trust MUVE for a ride.
When an eligible person places a request for a ride using the MUVE app, a professionally-trained driver will travel to their location and pick them up in a fully accessible van or car. Throughout the trip, drivers will ensure riders are comfortable and navigate the streets in the Region of Niagara in a safe manner. At the end of the ride, they will drop the rider off at the entrance to their destination. It’s really that easy! Passengers can enjoy fast, easy, and worry-free transit services with MUVE.
Designed For No-Limits-Accessibility
Accessible transportation is an important part of making lives easier for those living with a disability. That’s why MUVE plans to offer a fleet of vans and cars that are outfitted with a variety of accessibility aids to support users of all abilities.
All vehicles used in our transportation services will be equipped with ramps or lifts to accommodate those who use a wheelchair. They will also be outfitted with air conditioning, grab bars, handrails, stanchions, anti-slip floor coverings and other accessibility aids. These measures will ensure that every rider can comfortably board, travel and exit our transit buses – even if they are in a wheelchair.
Professional & Supportive Drivers
MUVE’s staff will be trained to support passengers and their unique needs. Drivers will be trained in sensitivity awareness and will be knowledgeable on how they can assist riders of all abilities. For example, they will know how to help passengers using a wheelchair or other mobility aid board and exit vehicles with ease.
Building An Accessible Community In The Niagara Region
MUVE knows that barriers to accessibility exist far beyond the city bus. That’s why we have created a tagging feature in our app to help the community build and share barriers to accessibility.
Users can tag businesses, facilities and public places and rate them on their levels of accessibility ranging from not accessible, partially accessible and fully accessible. This allows people living with disabilities to search for and know which places accommodate them and which don’t based on insight from the local community. We hope that this makes mobility easier for those living with a disability.
The Future Is Nearly Here
The search for truly accessible transportation services in the Niagara Region and the rest of Ontario is nearly over. MUVE will be launching its services in the near future.
