HandyDART service expected to return to normal Monday, Report

TransLink says they expect HandyDART service to return to normal Monday after a computer server malfunction significantly impacted service for three days.

The delays in service began Friday morning, and HandyDart users weren’t able to make new bookings or request standby trips through to the end of Saturday.

The malfunction was a “massive disaster” for HandyDart riders, according to Tim Louis, a former Vancouver city councillor and coordinator of the HandyDart Riders’ Alliance. He had scheduled a pickup from his office for between 4:15 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. on Friday, but no bus arrived.

“I called in and unfortunately the call centre could not give any update as to where the bus was,” Louis said.

“I was told that somebody had waited over two hours.”

He ended up waiting in the building’s lobby until 5:45 p.m. By then, a helper he’d booked to assist with meal preparation that night had responsibilities elsewhere and couldn’t meet up.

The computer problems also mean that Louis has also been unable to book HandyDart rides for the week ahead.

As of Sunday morning, HandyDart was accepting new medical bookings, and a TransLink press release said that pre-booked trips were being completed.

“Getting this issue resolved is a priority and we apologize for the inconvenience it’s caused for our HandyDart passengers. We ask our passengers to be patient as our vendor works to resolve this technical issue,” TransLink said in the release.

Despite the delays, HandyDart was able to complete 92 per cent of its normal number of trips on Friday and actually exceeded its average service level on Saturday, according to the press release.

Agencies/Canadajournal