Monday, April 30, 2012

OPEN LETTER

TRANSLINK – HANDYDART - TAXI

Open letter to - general public, all HandyDART users, their families, friends and supporters. WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Translink sub-companies or corporations are heading for a disastrous future. All users of public transit in the South Coast of BC will be affected.

At one time the Translink board made up of mostly elected Mayors was therefore considered public. Our previous Premier Campbell made several moves that privatized former public operations like the Ferry System, BC Rail and others, then hit on Translink.

BC government under Campbell’s direction appointed a board made up of professionals from the private domain (un-elected). HandyDART once comprised of eight districts was made one unit and through a contracting process turned over to a subsidiary of an American firm MVT, a for profit American Company. Adding Canada to their title does not alter that.

Proposed changes for profits impact negatively on HandyDART users and employees. Translink taxi proposal when in operation makes the disabled and elderly, the most vulnerable in society, suffer a serious reduction in their former transit service. HandyDART will not be a door-to-door service as it once was.

The taxi proposal contradicts several items in the “Custom Transit Operating Agreement between Translink and MV Canadian Bus Company Ltd”. Does it contravene Schedule A Section 3.0 Service Description or any other section? It needs public scrutiny.

In the operating agreement contract the prime service is bus transit with taxis as an ancillary. The proposed change make taxis a preferred service to bus transit. Perhaps most important does it contravene the Transportation Act?

We call on the general public to pressure and demand a public examination from the BC government of this whole question. Restore Translink Board to the elected mayors and limited additions. Remove “contracted service” from the transportation act.

Contact your MLA, the media and other resources to raise your voice in the support of HandyDART users. This system is no longer democratic; it is governance by business, corporation and big moneyed people. It deserves a huge public outcry for democracy.

HandyDART is a service, and not to be run for profit.

Two HandyDART users -John & Elizabeth Beeching,. Contact betjohn@shaw.ca

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