Wheel-Trans, the Toronto Transit Commission’s division providing door-to-door accessible transit, is upgrading its installation of GIRO’s HASTUS-OnDemand software to expand customers’ access to travel options giving them more independence and flexibility.

The TTC's Family of Services includes conventional bus, community bus, subway and accessible streetcar routes. A Family of Services trip occurs when a Wheel-Trans customer, depending on their abilities and service eligibility, uses other TTC modes of transport for all or a part of their journey.

Under a pilot program, Family of Services trips have been booked manually. To help Wheel-Trans to design and implement a new service-delivery model using all accessible modes within the TTC, the HASTUS-OnDemand upgrade will increase the system’s multimodal functionality. It will include GIRO’s SelfBooking Web application so that customers can book their trips online and then manage their booking as required to adjust to the situation in real time. The SelfBooking features will also be available through a mobile app. They will enable enhanced independent mobility while reducing call-centre operating costs. The solution will be expected to support an increase in service volume from the current 4.1 million to 8 million yearly trips.

“It was very important for the TTC to work with a provider that not only could demonstrate they could handle the volume of our business but also that they understood our vision for the future of paratransit and accessible services in Toronto,” said Eve Wiggins, TTC’s Head of Wheel-Trans.

“We are very pleased to be supporting the TTC in expanding Wheel-Trans customers’ access to Family of Services trips and their ability to book their own trips and travel options,” added Nurhan Cetin, GIRO’s Director, HASTUS-OnDemand. “GIRO looks forward to supporting the TTC in meeting its goals for this project, which represents a significant advance for the multimodal service offer.”

Wheel-Trans has been using GIRO’s optimization software for on-demand transport since 1986. The software has supported the growth of the TTC’s door-to-door accessible transit system while containing costs and optimizing the use of resources to plan, schedule and operate on-demand services using independent taxi fleets as well as the TTC’s own vehicles.