What Does A Paratransit Driver Do?
A paratransit driver is a unique job title that not many people are familiar with. Yet, this position is expected to grow much faster than most jobs between 2018 and 2028. As the need for paratransit drivers increases in cities across Canada, it’s important to know what this job is and what it entails.
Paratransit Driver: Job Title & What It Means
The title of a paratransit driver is held by individuals who are drivers for a community or private paratransit service. Paratransit services are community transport services that are specifically designed for people living with disabilities, their caretakers, and family members who cannot take typical public transportation like a city bus.
Paratransit drivers drive accessible vehicles directly to a passenger’s location, picks them up, and drops them off at their destination much as a taxi driver would. This allows people living with disabilities much more mobility and freedom than what would be afforded to them on other public transit like a bus.
MUVE’s Paratransit Drivers’ Skills
Skilled Large Equipment Operation
Paratransit drivers need to be skilled at driving commercial vehicles like cars, vans and sedans. This job is based on providing safe and reliable transportation for passengers, and as such, it is important that they can operate these vehicles safely and efficiently. Companies and employers like MUVE require their employees to have a new or updated Commercial Drivers License (CDL) for a paratransit driver position.
Compassion
Paratransit drivers need to be compassionate people in order to be attentive to their passengers’ needs and help them when needed. MUVE’s employees will be required to undergo sensitivity training to prepare them for working with passengers of all abilities. Training will ensure that every driver has the certification and skills needed to practice informed, compassionate care.
Door-to-Door, Arm-to-Arm Help
The average eligible paratransit user has some form of mobility issues. This can make it difficult for passengers to board and exit the vehicle or navigate to their location by themselves. Most paratransit companies will only assist passengers entering and exiting the vehicle, but MUVE strives to go further.
Each of our contracted drivers is expected to support passengers door-to-door, arm-to-arm and site-to-site according to established requirements and safety protocols. Whether this is done by operating equipment like wheelchair and scooter lifts or helping passengers to their front door, our drivers will do so. We believe that this will allow our service to reduce barriers to accessibility and go above and beyond for our users.
Exceptional Customer Service
Drivers need to be skilled at providing great service to all users at all points in time. From the moment they arrive at the pickup site to dropping passengers off at their final location, a paratransit driver will be kind, courteous and attentive to their riders’ needs. This also ensures that everyone who uses paratransit has an exceptional experience.
Reliable
Paratransit users rely on drivers to ensure that they can get to the places they need to be. This is a responsibility that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
MUVE’s services will be reliable and trustworthy for everyone living with a disability. We can help individuals plan ahead by pre-scheduling either a one-time ride or a recurring ride to get to where they need to be. On-demand rides can also be booked too.
Whether passengers have an appointment or would like to make a spontaneous trip, our drivers will be there on time, every time. As soon as ride requests are sent in or updated, our system will ensure that a driver is dispatched or assigned to the request immediately.
In-app, passengers can track their ride activity and share their location with their loved ones. This will help passengers maintain their ride schedules and communicate with their families. Our in-app tagging service will also improve barrier awareness and mobility as passengers can tag areas and rank their accessibility.
A Rewarding Job
A paratransit driver is a rewarding job for those who love to help others. By working and driving passengers to and from medical appointments, stores, and any other places they need to go, drivers help passengers increase their mobility and gain freedom.
Revolutionizing Paratransit
MUVE is an up-and-coming paratransit service company. We strive to break down mobility barriers and provide on-demand, door-to-door and arm-to-arm transportation services to people living with disabilities in Canada and around the world. Download our app today to be prepared for our upcoming launch. Available on Apple and Android smartphones.
