The Central Arkansas Transit Authority once again has proposed a ban on the consumption of food and beverages aboard the buses unless they are in spill-proof containers.
The new code of conduct for passengers also will seek to limit the number of bags passengers may carry and impose a ban on riders who have no destination.
Unlike similar initiatives in the past, agency officials hope this code of conduct sticks. Inconsistent enforcement was cited as an issue with the agency’s current rules.
“The customer code of conduct we have [proposed] is not very different from the one we have in place now,” Jarod Varner, the CATA executive director, said at the monthly meeting of the agency board last week. “The issue we have now is that over time we haven’t strictly enforced what’s in that customer code of conduct.”
Varner portrayed it as part of a broader effort to improve the passenger experience. One complaint cited several times in a ridership survey conducted in the fall was the lack of cleanliness on some buses and cockroaches.
“Well, that’s because we allow people to eat and drink whatever they want onboard the buses,” Varner said. “That’s one thing we heard from the operators. There is inconsistent enforcement of food and drink.”
Violating the ban on food and drink is a Level 1 inappropriate conduct. Any food or drink that is carried on a bus must be in a spill-proof container under the policy. Violators of Level 1 inappropriate conduct will be given a warning by the driver not to engage in the conduct. If that does not result in compliance, a supervisor can be called to the scene with the authority to ask the violator to leave the bus. Arrest for trespassing or disorderly conduct is a possibility if the offender does not leave.
The initiative grew out of discussions Varner had with drivers shortly after taking over as executive director in July.
“What we heard from them was we have issues with inconsistent enforcement,” he said. “It’s either from operator to operator, or the operator tried to enforce something and a supervisor overruled them or the supervisor and operator tried to enforce it and then at some point it came up to management and they overruled them.
“We’ve got this inconsistency that’s occurred over time so this provides a real good opportunity, I think, to sort of rein it back in.”
Another problem is the number of bags some riders carry. Under the policy, they need to be in the rider’s lap or under the seat. Agency staff hasn’t settled on a precise number.
“The concept is they have to control what they bring on to the bus,” Varner said. “They can’t become projectiles.”
The agency staff will try to install a communications strategy aimed at not only the riders but also the shelters and service agencies that work with many bus riders. Drivers already are warning passengers, Varner said.
“We’re going to hear from the public,” he said. “The operators, they’re gung-ho, they’re ready to enforce this thing. We already have some feedback. Operators are telling customers that change is coming.
“People have to be able to get to the grocery store on the bus. You just can’t do two months’ worth of shopping on one trip.”
The policy also attempts to address “riders without a destination.”
“Historically, it’s been our policy if you have a monthly pass, you can ride as much as you want,” Varner said. “But the issue is we have capacity issues on numerous routes. The buses are full all day long. We’re not in a position to accommodate those folks who just want to kind of ride around. That’s how they spend their day.”
Depending on the riders, it could be a liability issue, he said.
“We don’t want folks who are on the bus who are possibly prone to slip and fall whenever it’s wet,” Varner said
The communication strategy involving the code of conduct will extend to agency employees.
“There are some gray areas,” he said. “We’re still working to figure out how we’re going to be consistent. Our staff is going to put together a good training program for our operators, supervisors and management so we’re all on the same page.”
The new code of conduct is set to take effect in August, but it might be modified after the agency holds four meetings next month to solicit feedback from the public.
The hearings also will gauge ridership reaction to proposed changes to six bus routes.
The tentative changes include making the detour around the Interstate 430/ Interstate 630 interchange construction on the West Markham Street route a permanent alignment and adding another bus to Saturday service for the Mabelvale/ Midtown route while eliminating a bus on the route Sundays.
Officials also want to eliminate a portion of the Pinnacle Mountain Express route on Arkansas 300 between Arkansas 10 and Roland and change the route of its Hensley Express to use Interstate 30 rather than Main Street.
The Mabelvale/Downtown, Mabelvale/Midtown and Baseline/Southwest routes would be changed to serve the Wal-Mart store on Baseline Road by using the outer parking lot throughway rather than the store entrance as a stop.
The proposed changes come from the agency’s annual service-modification review and are expected to be in place by August, officials said. The agency also is pursuing other passenger amenities, such as more shelters at stops and the installation of a real-time passenger information system.
The first of the four public hearings will be held May 5 at the Main Library of the Central Arkansas Library System at 100 Rock St. in Little Rock. The dates and locations of the others are:
May 7 at the John Gould Fletcher Library at 823 N. Buchanan St. in Little Rock.
May 8 at the Oley E. Rooker Library at 11 Otter Creek Court in Little Rock.
May 12 at the Main Library of the William F. Laman Library System at 2801 Orange St. in North Little Rock.
All four hearings will begin at 7 p.m.
Correction: Articles Wednesday and Monday gave the wrong time for public hearings by the Central Arkansas Transit Authority to discuss proposed route changes, a passenger conduct code and other issues. The hearings start at 6 p.m. and will be held:
• May 5, Main Library of the Central Arkansas Library System, 100 Rock St., Little Rock.
• May 7, John Gould Fletcher Library, 823 N. Buchanan St., Little Rock.
• May 8, Oley E. Rooker Library, 11 Otter Creek Court, Little Rock.
• May 12, Main Library of the William F. Laman Library System, 2801 Orange St., North Little Rock.
Arkansas, Pages 7 on 04/21/2014