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Coborrus County Transit System Finol Report - September 2015 view of the National Council on Disability, it is advisable to identify and focus on the real abusers and establish a policy that is customer - friendly and respectful of the average rider." Recommended no -show administrative procedures include these steps: 1. Keep riders apprised of recorded no- shows. Riders may be unaware of no -shows on their record, particularly if the "no- shows" were actually system errors. Notifying riders via door hangers or brief, respectful letters or postcards after each no -show is a good practice. Immediate notification provides riders with an opportunity to effectively respond if the no -show was beyond their control. It may be difficult for riders to recall the specific circumstances if they are not notified for weeks or months, or until several no -shows accumulate. Notifications should inform riders how to indicate if the no -shows were beyond their control. 2. Periodically identify and list riders with the most no- shows. Check the trip record for these riders to ensure that the number of no -shows for each one is a significant percentage of their total trips taken. 3. If a rider's record forms a pattern that could result in a no -show suspension, review each no -show to verify that it was not caused by a coding or other transit agency error. Do not depend solely on a list generated by paratransit software. The review could involve checking the trip information and associated notes to ensure the vehicle arrived within the on -time window, that the driver waited the correct amount of time, that the vehicle was at the correct location, and that other policies and procedures were being followed (for example, that the dispatcher attempted to call the rider). 4. If the review verifies enough no -shows to constitute a pattern, notify the rider about the no -shows and the suspension called for by your agency policy. Some systems issue a warning for a first offense. Give the rider the opportunity to appeal any proposed suspension. 5. If a transit agency no -show policy is new or has been recently changed, it is a good practice to include a phase -in period to educate riders about the policy. During the phase -in, procedures can be tested and fine- tuned; also, letters can be sent but suspensions not yet imposed. Transit agencies should emphasize working with riders in a positive way to reduce no- shows, as well as implementing the warnings and suspensions allowed by the ADA. Drivers, call takers, and dispatchers all need to be consistent in the messages about and the adherence to the cancellation/no show policy. This policy can quickly deteriorate when exceptions are granted. A simply stated version of the cancellation/no show policy should be placed on a placard and posted on the bus. The door hangers recommended in step #1 above should also be instituted. Attachment number 1 \n F -3 Page 133