Lextran responds to complaints regarding issues with paratransit provider Wheels

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — After Joyce Givens spoke out about issues riding the paratransit service Wheels, her complaints are now being addressed.

“We want to make sure that we’re continuing to deliver the service people expect and deserve. Regardless of any disability or destination, we want to make sure that we’re continuing to deliver on our mission to serve people in the community with their mobile mobility solutions,” says Jill Barnett, general manager and executive director at Lextran.

Wheels is a shared ride, door-to-door public transportation for citizens in the Lexington and Fayette County areas with disabilities.

“So customers’ trips are scheduled within a 30-minute window, a window of time. So it’s not necessarily an exact time and customers might also experience a negotiations process when they schedule their trip,” she adds.

Barnett says after watching our story on Wednesday, she wanted to explain the process of scheduling a ride.

She says a number of factors, like the number of operators that are available may lead to customers having to negotiate up to an hour before, or after their requested pick-up time.

In response to the woman who had difficulty rescheduling her trip in our story that aired Wednesday, “So the only way the system would recognize to schedule that other trip was to cancel the original one. Now there, you know, there were probably some delays in communication or difficulties in communication of how that was relayed to the customer. But the main thing was, was that she had a trip that was scheduled, and they didn’t want her to lose that trip,” said Jill.

She also says Wheels operates on a first come first served basis.

“Under the ADA law trips cannot be prioritized by trip type or destination. So even though some people might use the Wheels service for a medical appointment, it is a form of public transportation and not necessarily medical transportation,” added Barnett.

RAPT – DEV is now the provider of Wheels in conjunction with Lextran.

“The new provider, RATP dev USA began providing service here in Lexington on October 1, we’re really proud that there’s been no lapse in service after the previous provider notified us that they were going to be leaving, leaving that after more than 40 years,” also said Barnett.

She hopes riders will continue to trust Lextran, especially those who use the paratransit service Wheels.