Elderly, disabled riders waiting hours as DART transitions to new $600 million vendor

A long-anticipated vendor change has led to hourslong delays for Dallas Area Rapid Transit GoLink on-demand and paratransit passengers this month.
Customers have reported delays in pickup and one- to two-hour wait times when trying to book GoLink or paratransit services via phone, the transit agency confirmed Monday.
Paratransit service provides door-to-door transportation for riders with disabilities who are unable to use DART’s fixed-route services, while GoLink offers curbside service for all riders within designated zones.
“The DART customer service team has received reports of delays in pickups for both GoLink and paratransit services as well as from callers who have reported unreasonable wait times when trying to book a trip or check on ride status by phone,” the agency said in a Sept. 20 email to customers. “These challenges that our customers have faced and voiced do not adhere to DART’s standards of service.”
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The delays stem from a planned transition to a new vendor, Transdev, which begins Tuesday.
“The biggest contributor to this is the fact that employees from our soon-to-be-former vendor are now transitioning to our new vendor which launches tomorrow,” spokesperson Jeamy Molina said. “This means that our new vendor is quickly becoming fully staffed and will be able to hit the ground running with trained employees.”
The eight-year, $600 million Transdev contract was approved in June and will mean “new and more reliable vehicles, including side-loading ramped minivans,” according to DART. It will also mean a new bookings platform, Spare for ADA Paratransit, that allows booking with live agents seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Online booking will still be available at www.dart.org/ridepara.
GoLink reservation days and hours will remain the same. Fares will still be $3 per trip with coupons and cash accepted.
Longer-than-usual wait times for phone bookings should be expected at least through the end of Tuesday, according to DART.