ADA Paratransit
How To Make A Reservation
Please note that you need to complete the ADA eligibility process in order to make a paratransit reservation.
Call at least one day before your travel date.
Reservations are taken Mon – Sun 8AM – 5PM. To avoid the morning surge of telephone calls, try to make reservations between the hours of 10AM – 3PM.
Call the Operations Center at least one day before the trip is needed at (508) 385-1430 | (800) 352-7155 | TTY (508) 385-4163
- Same day changes and/or reservations are not guaranteed.
- Reservations can be made up to two weeks in advance for single trips and one year in advance for subscriptions.
Have your travel information ready.
When you call to schedule a trip, you must give the dispatcher/scheduler the following information:
- You are calling to schedule an ADA trip.
- Your name.
- The date you wish to travel.
- Where and when you would like to be picked up from the origin to destination within 3/4 mile of the public transportation routes.
- Where and when you would like to be dropped off from the origin to destination within 3/4 mile of the public transportation routes.
- The time you wish to return, if a return trip is needed.
- Any special assistance that is needed or other considerations (e.g. driver to handle your fare, need to be allowed to eat on the bus due to a medical condition, five minute warning call etc.).
- Whether or not a PCA and/or companion will be traveling with you.
Paratransit service hours vary by town and time of year. Please call and speak to a Customer Service Representative who will advise you of the hours of operation in each town.
Tell the customer service representative that you will be accompanied by a companion and/or a PCA at the same time you call to make your reservation.
Your Personal Care Attendant (PCA) may accompany you on any ADA trip free of charge. When applying for ADA eligibility please indicate that you will have a PCA. You and your PCA must have the same origin and destination.
Allow 15 minutes before and after your scheduled departure and arrival times.
When you call to make your reservation for a trip, the Customer Service Representative will confirm that we are going to be able to provide that trip for you. But, because our schedule is affected by traffic and the promptness of other passengers, it is difficult for us to predict an exact time. Please be prepared for the vehicle to pick you up between fifteen (15) minutes prior to, and fifteen (15) minutes after, your scheduled pick-up time.
For example, this means that if you need to be at your desk at 9AM and it takes you 15-minutes to get from the vehicle to your desk, your should schedule an arrival of 8:34AM.
Subscriptions for recurring trips.
Recurring daily or weekly trips to the same location, at the same time, can be booked as a subscription. Once you have called to arrange your subscription trips, you will not have to call continually to schedule these trips.
Rescheduling & Cancellation
If you need to cancel or reschedule a trip, you must call prior to 5PM the day before. If you fail to cancel a requested trip within a two-hour notice of your pick up time, you will be considered a “no-show”. Please read our No-Show policy below so you are aware of your responsibilities under it.
When a rider is a no-show for one trip, all subsequent trips on that day remain on the schedule unless the rider specifically cancels the trips. To avoid multiple no-shows on the same day, riders are strongly encouraged to cancel any subsequent trips they no longer need that day
A tally of each week’s No-Shows recorded by CCRTA will generate a postcard that is mailed to the passenger’s home. If the passenger feels that a No-Show should be excused, they should contact CCRTA at the regular phone number as soon as possible
No-Show & Late Cancellation Policy
No-Shows
If a customer books a trip and fails to board the vehicle within five minutes of the arrival of the vehicle, as long as the driver arrives within the pick-up window, the customer will be charged with a No-Show. If the passenger No-Shows at their home, the passenger should expect to find a door hanger that indicates that the driver was there to provide a trip for them.
15-Minute Pickup Window
The pickup window is defined as “from 15 minutes before the scheduled pickup time to 15 minutes after the scheduled pickup time”. Riders must be ready to board a vehicle that arrives within the pickup window. The driver will wait for a maximum of five (5) minutes within the pickup window for the rider to appear.
Late Cancellations
A late cancellation is defined as either: a cancellation made less than two hours before the scheduled pickup time or as a cancellation made at the door or a refusal to board a vehicle that has arrived within the pickup window. When a trip is cancelled within two hours of the scheduled window, it deprives other passengers of same day opportunities, taking away the ability to serve a greater number of passengers.
No-Show Examples
A No-Show occurs when:
- There has been no call by the customer (or the customer’s representative) to cancel the scheduled trip time. and
- The vehicle arrives at the scheduled location within the thirty minute window and
- The operator cannot reasonably see the customer approaching the vehicle after waiting five minutes.
- The driver arrives and you cancel your ride.
- You arrive to take the ride as the driver is leaving.
No-Show Due To Operator Error
CCRTA does not count as no-shows or late cancellations any missed trips due to our error, such
as:
- Trips placed on the schedule in error
- Pickups scheduled at the wrong pickup location
- Drivers arriving and departing before the pickup window begins
- Drivers arriving late (after the end of the pickup window)
- Drivers arriving within the pickup window, but departing without waiting the required five minutes
No-Show Due To Circumstances Out of Rider’s Control
CCRTA does not count as no-shows or late cancellations situations beyond a rider’s control that
prevent the rider from notifying us that the trip cannot be taken, such as:
- Medical emergency
- Family emergency
- Sudden illness or change in condition
- Mobility aid failed.
- Late connecting transportation: late transfer trip, train, etc. Caused the customer to miss the trip.
- Appointment cancelled/delayed for reasons that are not the customer’s fault.
- Acts of god: flood, earthquake, etc.
Riders should contact the CCRTA Call Center at (508) 385-1430 when experiencing no-show or late cancellations due to circumstances beyond their control.
Late Cancellation
A Late Cancellation occurs when a passenger cancels a trip less than two hours before the scheduled trip for reasons that are not beyond the passenger’s control. However, repeated failures (five trips per month) to take scheduled trips, regardless of the reason, are subject for review. When a trip is cancelled within two hours of the scheduled window, it deprives other passengers of same day opportunities, taking away the ability to serve a greater number of passengers.
Excessive No-Shows / Late Cancellations – Suspension
CCRTA reviews all recorded no-shows and late cancellations to ensure accuracy before recording them in a rider’s account.
Each verified no-show or late cancellation consistent with the above definitions counts as one penalty point. Riders will be subject to suspension after they meet all of the following conditions:
- Accumulate five penalty points in one calendar month
- Have booked at least twelve trips that month
- Have “no-showed” or “late cancelled” at least five percent of those trips
A rider will be subject to suspension only if both the minimum number of trips booked and the minimum number of penalty points are reached during the calendar month. CCRTA will notify riders by telephone after they have accumulated four penalty points and would be subject to suspension should they accumulate one additional penalty point that month consistent with the criteria listed in this section of the policy above.
All suspension notices include a copy of this policy, information on disputing no-shows or late
cancellations, and how to appeal suspensions. The first violation in a calendar year triggers a
warning letter but no suspension.
Excessive No-Shows / Late Cancellations – Sanctions
CCRTA wants our customers to take the trips they request. However, repeated failures to take scheduled trips as outlined above will result in suspension of services according to the following schedule:
- First Violation – Warning letter and you will be notified in writing of a requirement to confirm your next four one-way trips (or two round trips)
- Second violation – Seven (7) day suspension
- Third violation – Fourteen (14) day suspension
- Fourth violation – Twenty One (21) day suspension
- Fifth and subsequent violations – Twenty Eight (28) day suspension
Disputing Specific No-Shows / Late Cancellations
Disputing A Specific No-Show / Late Cancellation
Riders wishing to dispute specific no-shows or late cancellations must do so within five business days of receiving suspension letters. Riders should contact the CCRTA Office at (508) 775-8504, Mon – Fri 8:30AM – 4:3PM to explain the circumstance, and request the removal of the no-show or late cancellation.
Appealing A Decision
Anyone affected by the No-Show Policy and/ or disagreeing with the eligibility determination that you received, is entitled to request an appeal. Any request for an appeal must be made in writing and must be mailed within sixty (60) days of the date of the suspension or eligibility determination letter. All appeals must be submitted in writing to:
CCRTA Mobility Manager
P.O. Box 1988
Hyannis, MA 02601
If you disagree with the decision made by the Mobility Manager, you may appeal that decision in writing to the Administrator of CCRTA. Your written request for appeal must be received by the Administrator within ten calendar days after the date of the written decision of the Mobility Manager. Persons submitting written appeals to the Mobility Manager and the Administrator shall be provided written notification of the decision and the reasons for the decision. CCRTA will provide ADA service to the individual pending the determination on appeal.