Staff Report #6
April 24, 2024
To All Commissioners
Re: 2024 Work Program – Operations – First Quarter Update
Recommendation
The report be NOTED and FILED.
Background
The following report is provided as an update on significant projects as set out in the 2024 Work Program that were scheduled to commence and/or be completed in the first quarter, with the lead on same being the primary responsibility of the Operations department.
5.5 Expect Respect Program
The London Transit Mutual Respect Policy states that all customers of the services and others that are in contact with the LTC and its employees in the course of business/work are in turn expected to be respectful of employees and of other customers of the service. The Expect Respect Program was established to raise awareness of this policy to both London Transit employees and customers of the expectations of respectful interactions between all parties; whether that be employee to employee; employee to customer or customer to customer.
The initial aspect of the program was to include enhanced training for London Transit employees. Programs for all front-line employees were enhanced to ensure more focus is dedicated to the expectations of respectful dialogue between employees and rolled out across the organization. The management group participated in a training program focused on this in 2023.
The next phase of the program, which was delayed as the result of the pandemic and has been re-scheduled and included on the 2024 Work Program is the rollout of a communications campaign directed toward LTC customers. This campaign will focus on London Transit’s expectation of our customers; namely that they are to respect our employees, equipment and properties and one another. The messaging has for the most part been created, and the focus has now been directed toward determining the best manner to share the material. Options under consideration include permanent interior bus cards, shelter posters, website and socials for the customer-facing material.
Other – Multi-Route Stops and Securement of Mobility Devices
In addition to the Work Plan items, two areas of concern with respect to customer contact trends were identified and addressed in the first quarter of 2024.
Multi-Use Stops
In the instance where multiple routes utilize the same stop location, Operators are directed to ensure they wait for the bus in front of them to clear the stop and then proceed to the bus stop plate and open their doors. This ensures that the external announcement for the bus is played, alerting customers waiting at the stop of the bus arrival. Issues continued to be raised with respect to Operators not following expectations related to servicing multi-use stops, in some cases resulting in customers with visual impairments missing the bus.
In response to this issue, a communications campaign was prepared in an effort to ensure all operations employees understand the expectations in relation to multi-route stops. Inspectors and Supervisors were tasked with monitoring and auditing the stops for compliance. Employee bulletins and internal screen reminders provided quick tips on ensuring proper procedures were followed. The campaign has been successful in raising awareness of the expectations. Customer contacts will continue to be monitored to ensure this issue has been addressed.
In addition, to try to mitigate the impacts of the multi-route stop at Queens and Richmond, effective for the Summer Signup (June 23, 2024) the routes serving this location will be divided into two stops. This will allow buses to be assigned a specific stop location which can be scheduled to limit the number of vehicles at the stop at the same time. This change is intended to reduce instances of passengers being missed as buses will be able to pull up to the bus stop plate more easily due to less routes serving the same location.
Securement of Mobility Devices
Passengers who utilize a mobility device when travelling on the conventional service are required to have their mobility device secured by the Operator via the on-board securement system. Operators are trained on the use of this equipment as part of the onboarding process. Wheelchair designs can vary significantly, as can the location of the proper tie-down points, which can result in confusion on the part of the Operator when attempting to secure the device.
In response to these issues, a communications campaign was undertaken to reinforce Operator compliance with respect to the securement of mobility devices, and direct them where to go in cases where they are unsure of how to safely secure a specific device. The training related to these expectations in the onboarding process has also been enhanced. In cases where repeat issues occur with a specific customer, administration will endeavor to meet with the customer to identify the appropriate tie down points, and ensure this is communicated with London Transit Operators. Planned ongoing training will be rolled out in the second quarter to include static practical demonstrations by the training department for all Operators who may require further assistance.
Recommended by:
David Butler, Manager, Operations Administration
Concurred in by:
Kelly S. Paleczny, General Manager