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Transportation for Disabled at Crossroads

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

Just a week before the complete privatization of Orange County’s van service for the disabled, both the program and the company that will soon be the sole provider of door-to-door service in the county have come under intense scrutiny for a series of errors that have put customers in harm’s way.

On Tuesday, at least one elderly passenger was kept in a van for hours as the Laidlaw driver continued to search for a nonexistent address, according to John Standiford, spokesman for the Orange County Transportation Authority.

“Obviously that wasn’t the right reaction,” Standiford said. “The driver should have pulled over and made a phone call once he knew he was lost.”

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Providers of adult day care in the county say the recent episode--while more severe than most--is “only the tip of the iceberg.” In recent weeks transit officials have fielded more than 350 complaints about the Access van service, a 65% increase over complaints last month.

Drivers have accidentally dropped off senile senior citizens at wrong addresses, have mistakenly let passengers off prematurely and have dealt harshly with both staff and clients, said Carol Laakso of Mount of Olives Adult Daycare in Mission Viejo.

But Laakso and other adult day care providers say their complaints are balanced against the need for the service, which is a lifeline for many senior citizens who otherwise would have no way to get to doctor appointments and other activities.

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“There are definitely problems,” she said. “But not having any service would be much worse.”

County transit officials say they are well aware of the problems and are working to fix them, including making adjustments to the computer database to make sure addresses are correct and the timing of routes is accurate.

And they say the recent problems are unrelated to the upcoming consolidation of the door-to-door van service for people with disabilities. OCTA board members voted in August to award the $93-million contract to Laidlaw--the company that employed the driver involved in the recent incident.

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About 14,000 disabled people in Orange County are eligible for the service.

The five-year contract was approved in an 8-2 vote despite a warning from a former Los Angeles transportation commissioner and public misgivings about quality of service. Transit officials say the decision to privatize will save about $1.5 million each year and will increase accountability.

Transit officials say they anticipate some problems in service during the transition, but that they plan to aggressively address issues as they arise.

“We are not trying to whitewash the problems,” said Monte Ward, head of special programs for the OCTA.

The decision to go exclusively with Laidlaw, a Canadian company that is the largest North American provider of ambulance, school and city bus transportation, marked a change in policy for the transit agency. OCTA’s practice in the past has been to provide some of the service itself and divide the rest among several private companies, including Laidlaw. By dividing the work, transit officials had aimed to ensure that backup transportation was available in emergencies and to encourage improved service through competition.

Under the new contract, which starts Nov. 1, Laidlaw must provide a bond worth 25% of the yearly contract in order to ensure their quality performance. The money would go to the transit authority if Laidlaw’s performance is not acceptable.

The recent errors, transit officials say, stem from a switch-over to a Y2K-compliant computer system on Oct. 1 and are not representative of Laidlaw’s service record.

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“This is a system we were required by law to have in place before the end of the year. we would have made the switch regardless of who is providing the services,” said Monte Ward, OCTA director of special services.

Transit officials have recommended that Laidlaw fire the driver involved in the mishap last week, Ward said.

Ward defended Laidlaw’s services, saying the company had a long and good track record in Orange County. In fact, he said, accountability was a main factor in transit officials’ decision to go with one company.

And some in the adult day care community say they believe the transit agency and Laidlaw have both been responsive to complaints. Harold Kuhnell, who serves as the liaison to OCTA for 12 adult day care centers in the county, said he feels OCTA has worked to fix the problems.

At Irvine Adult Day Health Center, where Kuhnell is the program director, Laidlaw drivers have come for orientations so they can better understand the clientele and their special needs.

The van service issue is on the agenda for Monday’s transit board meeting in Santa Ana, where one of the bidders on the contract awarded to Laidlaw is expected to protest the decision and the process by which it was made.

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