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City of Winnipeg

Winnipeg Transit

First-come, first served trip booking

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A Winnipeg Transit Plus vehicle, marked with a logo, parked in front of the Winnipeg Transit garage

How the new system works

Winnipeg Transit Plus is now using a new system of booking trips after eliminating the Trip Priority System, an outdated practice no longer being used by other paratransit providers.

All trips are now being fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis. Assigning trips this way is fair and equitable, and it is also more efficient because it makes it easier to shift resources in the case of cancellations or no-shows. This change will lead to a more flexible service that can better meet customer demand.

Customers who are unfamiliar with the new booking system should be aware of a few changes in how they book trips and plan their pickups:

  • When you call to book a trip, you will be informed immediately if your trip request can be accommodated, and if it can, you will be provided with a 30-minute pick-up window.
  • If you opt-in to receive notifications, you will also receive a call confirming the details the night before your trip.
  • If your trip can’t be accommodated based on availability at the time you make your request, you will be offered a different time or a spot on a waitlist.
  • We will continually monitor trip demand and look to accommodate your trips based on the availability of our vehicles.
  • If you are on a waitlist and your requested time becomes available and is booked for you, you will receive a call the night before your trip confirming details (if you have opted in for notifications), or you can contact Transit Plus to confirm.

Printable PDF — Five steps to booking a trip with Transit Plus under the first-come, first-served booking system

We are also offering interactive virtual information sessions with our Travel Trainer to review this change, by request. If you are interested in attending a session, please call our contact centre and provide your name and email address. After you have registered, you will receive a log-in link for a Microsoft Teams meeting via email.

Trips are no longer being assigned a priority, and trips previously assigned a Priority 1 are no longer be guaranteed; please make your trip request as soon as you are eligible (one week prior.)

  • This includes trips for work, medical or dialysis.
  • You may be offered another time for your trip, or if that isn’t available, put on the waitlist.

The move from an exact pick-up time to a 30-minute pick-up window makes our service more transparent and efficient.

  • It will help Transit Plus reduce the likelihood of drivers falling behind schedule, and make it easier to fill gaps left by no-shows or cancellations.
  • Drivers will arrive within that time frame. Please be ready to leave as soon as the vehicle arrives and wait inside the outermost door of the designated pick-up spot.
  • If you opt-in for notifications, you will receive a phone call notifying you approximately 15 minutes before the driver’s arrival.
  • The driver will wait five (5) minutes upon arrival within the 30-minute pick-up window to assist you onboard. If you are not ready to leave within that five (5) minute period, the driver will notify Transit Plus, you may be considered a no-show, and the vehicle will leave.
  • If your vehicle has not arrived within the 30-minute pick window, please call the customer contact centre.

Note: Subscription bookings, currently suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will continue to be unavailable under the new system.

Opt-in for trip notifications today

Trip notifications the night before your trip and 15 min prior to the driver’s arrival are now available to customers who opt in You can opt-in to receive notifications when you book your next trip. Opting-in can save you the time it currently takes to confirm your trip times.

Why the Trip Priority System has been eliminated

As part of our commitment to providing accessible service, Winnipeg Transit Plus has followed a number of recommendations from an Ombudsmen’s report, including to review our trip priority system. The review, carried out under the direction of Winnipeg City Council, found that the Trip Priority System:

  • Was outdated, as other paratransit providers had moved away from such systems
  • Could be perceived as being discriminatory in practice, as it can limit access to public transportation
  • Wouldn’t align with upcoming accessibility legislation (The Accessibility for Manitobans Act)

Additionally, making this change allows Transit Plus to best utilize trip-booking software to assign trips more efficiently, reducing the likelihood of a trip request going unfulfilled. We are better able to serve you, our customers.

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