PROGRAM-BASED TRANSPORTATION ONLY. Ensure that Consumers are never left unattended. If the vehicle arrives late (after designated start/end time) to the Destination Facility and no staff is available, it is the driver/Monitor’s responsibility to escort the Consumers together to and from a responsible staff person.
PROGRAM-BASED TRANSPORTATION ONLY. Make every effort to assign consistent drivers and Monitors, where applicable, to each route. The Provider shall furnish to parents/residential staff and Facility staff the names of their drivers and Monitors and notify them in advance of any scheduled change in these personnel.
PROGRAM-BASED TRANSPORTATION ONLY. The Transportation Provider must also adhere to specific Affiliation Agreement requirements regarding inclement weather cancellation procedures. (See Section 3.3.A.1 above.).
PROGRAM-BASED TRANSPORTATION ONLY. The Transportation Provider shall transport Consumers from their respective residences to the sites and at the times specified by the Broker on days that the programs are in session during the performance period of the Transportation Provider Subcontract with the Broker. Consumers will similarly be returned to their respective residences.
PROGRAM-BASED TRANSPORTATION ONLY. Unless otherwise directed by the dispatcher, the driver shall wait until at least five (5) minutes after the scheduled pick-up time before departing without the Consumer.
PROGRAM-BASED TRANSPORTATION ONLY. The Transportation Provider shall ensure that Consumer pick-up and drop-off times at their residence and day program are maintained and are as constant as can be reasonably expected. The Broker/Agency may require that actual pick-up and drop-off times begin to be recorded and submitted for specific routes where problems have arisen. Additionally, if a Consumer is not immediately present, the driver should initiate a call to the dispatcher who will attempt to contact the Consumer's residence by telephone, and may be required to remain longer than five minutes for certain Consumers due to the presence of a physical limitation, behavioral challenge, or extreme weather conditions.
PROGRAM-BASED TRANSPORTATION ONLY. The Transportation Provider shall notify the Consumer or responsible person of the times that the Consumer will be transported, no later than at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to initiation of transport or any changes in the schedule during the course of the Transportation Provider Subcontract with Broker. (For Demand-Response Transportation, the Provider is not responsible for communicating with Consumers about pickup time.)
PROGRAM-BASED TRANSPORTATION ONLY. Conduct a minimum of two (2) inspections annually (that drivers or Monitors are not aware of in advance) at each contracted Facility site or en route. The inspection is to Monitor the driver’s (and Monitor if applicable) performance and the condition of the vehicle and equipment. Inspections must be conducted by supervisory staff at regularly scheduled Consumer drop off or pick up times and a report on the results of each such inspection is to be forwarded to the Broker within 30 days. In cases where complaints or disputes arise, additional inspections may be required by the Broker to be held at the Facility site, Consumer's residence or at any point along the route. Inspection reports must be documented in writing and maintained for annual inspection.
PROGRAM-BASED TRANSPORTATION ONLY. Ensure that whenever a driver transports a Consumer to a Residence or Facility that shows no evidence of a parent/guardian, residential staff, or other authorized person, that the driver immediately notify the supervisor/dispatcher who must (unless otherwise specified in writing by the Broker):
1. Notify the transportation coordinator or director at the Consumer’s Facility.
2. Attempt to contact the parent/Day Care provider by phone.
3. If there are other Consumers on the vehicle instruct the driver to continue on with the route and then return.
4. If there are no other Consumers on the vehicle and no contact with the parent/Day Care provider has been established, then notify the transportation coordinator or director at the Consumer’s Facility and return the Consumer to the Facility; and
5. If there is no authorized staff at the Consumer’s Facility or if unable to contact the Facility, then notify the Broker.
6. At this point, if no contact can be established with the parent, residential staff, or Facility staff then the Broker will:
a. For children under 12 (DPH EI or unaccompanied MassHealth children) - instruct the supervisor to notify the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and to turn the child over to DCF as an abandoned child (Transportation Provider must be aware of local and after hours DCF telephone numbers).
PROGRAM-BASED TRANSPORTATION ONLY. Implement the following procedures when notified that a vehicle with Consumers on board is overdue en route to a Residence or Day care site:
1. Attempt to establish radio contact with the driver.
2. Maintain contact with the person who initiated the report.
3. Contact Facility staff.
4. When 30 minutes has elapsed since the designated drop-off time or 75 minutes since the Facility's scheduled ending time (whichever comes first): continue with the above and contact all residences on the route for verification that the Consumer was dropped off, dispatch a radio equipped backup vehicle to follow the missing vehicle's route and confirm the missing vehicle's description (make, model, year, color & license #).
5. When 45 minutes has elapsed since the designated drop-off time or 90 minutes since the Facility's scheduled ending time (whichever comes first), continue with the above and notify the local/state police. The Transportation Provider shall notify the Broker and submit a written report to the Broker within 24 hours detailing the Incident, outcome, investigation, and action taken.
