The TTC began its nine-month Community Bus pilot program along two routes this month. The program is designed to connect senior citizens and Wheel-Trans customers along the Lawrence Manor 400 and East York 404 routes by offering door-to-door service to shopping centres, community centres, hospitals and seniors’ centres.

On Sept. 17 of this year, Diana Maxted attended a Toronto Transit Commission public forum on accessible transit. Remarkably, in order to reach that forum Maxted (who uses a scooter to get around) could not travel from her condo in Leslieville on regular TTC vehicles. The 501 Queen and 505 Dundas streetcars are inaccessible. Consequently, Maxted must call upon the TTC Wheel-trans service by planning days in advance. “Wheel-trans is marvelous,” she said, “but they are very inconsistent. Sometimes they arrive very late or when you call, the dispatcher tells you to call another time.”