I write in praise of RIPTA! Yes RIPTA | Opinion
Jim Raftus lives in Cumberland.
It is a decades-long tradition to bemoan the incompetence of many of the alphabet soup government agencies; DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles), IRS (Internal Revenue Service) and RIPTA (Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority). There is no denying that in the past these entities with their bloat, inefficiencies and attitudes have earned much of this derision.
However, to paraphrase Shakespeare, I have come to praise RIPTA not to bury it. More accurately a subset of RIPTA, their paratransit service. My older sister has been in a Newport nursing home for three years. Because of COVID restrictions, an out-of-service van at the facility and her decreased mobility, she has been mostly confined to the building. Then our family discovered the paratransit program run by RIPTA. What a godsend!
More: RIPTA moves ahead on new central bus hub – but location is more of a mystery than ever
Recently, we have been able to get my sister out to restaurants, a trip to Jamestown and even a boat tour of Newport Harbor because of the efficiency of the people who run this operation. After so long with limited exposure to the outside world these adventures have visibly lifted her spirits.
Rhode Island residents with mobility issues can apply for the paratransit service through RIPTA’s website. If qualified as clients, they can access door to door pickups for only $4 each stop, a companion can also ride for free. The beauty of this is that it eliminates the difficulty of handicapped people having to find a way to get to a bus stop. As long as the pickup and destination addresses are within three-quarters of a mile of a regular RIPTA bus stop a special handicap van will pick up clients at their doorstep at an arranged time.
After several trips as a companion I can attest to the professionalism of all the people who make this work; the appointment schedulers, whoever runs the ride tracking phone application and the courteous, efficient drivers.
More: This fare-free RIPTA route has been popular for a year, but soon the free rides will end
When it comes to customer service I’ve always maintained the devil is in the details. On our most recent trip the driver was obviously in training, as another employee was assisting him. When he got out of the van upon arrival at the nursing home he greeted my sister as she waited in her wheelchair. “Good morning, Virginia!” he said brightly. He’d, of course, never met her. He had to have made the small, but important, gesture of learning her name from his pickup list.
All the drivers have been pleasant and patient. Imagine staying calm and composed while having to keep on schedule while driving a good-sized van in the midst of the mid-summer madness of Newport traffic.
Hats off to all! You have made my sister Virginia’s life much more enjoyable.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: While many Rhode Islanders complain about government agencies, this one is an exception, especially its paratransit system.
