Call-A-Ride had, still has a sustainable plan

This is in response to the article concerning disruption of transportation services for people with disabilities and the man’amko on Saipan. I am referring to the recent business management decision by Pacific Development Inc. to discontinue the management and operations of the Saipan Call-a-Ride program that has served the Saipan community for several years. PDI served us well and we ought to extend our thanks for the commitment they extended for several years despite challenges they faced due to our sluggish economy.

In the article, the director of the CNMI Office of Vocational Rehabilitation made a couple of untrue statements about the Call-a-Ride and the CNMI Council on Developmental Disabilities. According to the article quoting the director, “they are also counting on the commitments made by the Disabilities Development Council.” Director said the program still lacks a “sustainability plan.” “Call-A-Ride was (initially) federally funded and it has to be sustained locally, but this was never done, resulting in a very hard situation now.”

As the former executive director of the CNMI Council on Developmental Disabilities and the individual responsible for initiating an innovative long-term project, the Saipan Call-a-Ride had a sustainable plan. The CNMI Council on Developmental Disabilities made a commitment in its five-year state plan to address the lack of transportation—a problem facing individuals with disabilities and the man’amko. The Council’s transportation goal at the time is to advocate for available and accessible transportation services. Not only did the Council fulfilled its commitment to advocate and make available an accessible transportation program, it secured federal financial assistance for the purchase of four accessible passenger vans worth over $170,000.00 ($50,000 U.S. Housing & Urban Development/CDBG administered by NMHC and $130,000 U.S. Health & Human Services, CMS Real Choice Systems Change grant administered by the CNMI CDD) and additionally provided seed money as an administrative infusion amounting to $12,000, made available again by U.S. HHS, CMS Real Choice Systems Change grant.

Even after it secured an operator and manager to sustain the service, the Council, through the support of DPS Emergency Medical Services and PDI, continued to provide technical assistance such as First Aid, CPR, People First, Sensitivity, Securement and Tiedown and Lift Operations training to attendants (drivers/operators) of the Call-a-Ride providers (Saipan, Rota & Tinian). In addition, the council published and developed a Call-a-Ride Transportation Operation & Management Manual for all three operators to use as a reference and guide.

Realizing the need to respond to lack of transportation services on Rota and Tinian, the CNMI Council on DD again diligently worked hard to secure additional federal grants for the purchase of vans and secure the services of operators/managers to start and sustain the program on our neighboring islands.

In its continual commitment, the CNMI CDD made extra efforts to investigate ways and means to assist the Call-a-Ride program by identifying outside sources that are expert in mass transportation system. As a result, the council was able to send a team of CNMI Transportation to the 2003 Easter Seals Mobility Planning Institute sponsored by the Project ACTION (http://projectaction.easterseals.com) in Washington, D.C. The team included a person with a disability who uses the Call-a-Ride, representatives from the CNMI Call-a-Ride Transportation Services, public health care provider, other transportation providers such as the Public School System and an advocacy organization. Easter Seals Project ACTION financially supported the team with a $4,000 mini-grant plus one paid roundtrip ticket, ground transportation and lodging, including meals to the consumer representative. During the institute, the participant teams produce action plans, with shared responsibilities to carry out throughout the next year, reflecting specific local concerns and stages of development. MPS teams received additional follow-up technical assistance from ESPA staff within the first 12 months at no cost to the community.

This same action plan was presented before the director of OVR, chairman of the State Independent Living Council and chairman of the State Rehabilitation Council. Interestingly, I remembered the director of OVR who called a meeting to share her vision and plan to adopt a State United We Ride transportation coalition.

The United We Ride initiative’s intention is to break down the barriers among federal programs as they relate to transportation to ensure that transportation services are seamless, comprehensive and accessible. Specifically, UWR is tasked with seeking ways to simplify access to transportation services for persons with disabilities, persons with lower incomes, and older adults.

About two years ago, the Office of the Governor was invited by the National UWR (http://www.unitedweride.gov) to select and send a team of state representatives (that included officials from the Office of the Governor and the Office on Aging) to attend the United We Ride Transportation Conference in Washington, DC. Two were selected and flew to Washington to attend the summit. My question is, what happened to these representatives who attended the conference and what have they done to acknowledge the information and training they gained?

One thing the director of OVR was right about: The CNMI Call-a-Ride was initially a federally funded program initiated by the CNMI Council on Developmental Disabilities; however her comment that it has to be sustained locally is misleading. PDI on Saipan, S&L Enterprises on Rota and the Tinian Delegation on Tinian have sustained the Call-a-Ride program locally. The system is not a “free” service since it charges per passenger a minimal $2 per segment (one way from point to point). Now that we know there is a real demand by people with disabilities and the man’amko for a curb-to-curb or house-to-house on call transportation services, isn’t it time the governor signs House Bill 14-318?

Lastly, I also want to take this opportunity to ensure that, in my reading of the transportation bill, I do not detect any language(s) intended to take away funding from the PSS Bus program made available by the U.S. Department of Transportation. In fact, PSS Bus services was made a part of the United We Ride resource of bridging together all human services transportation coordination aimed at resolving transportation issues.

Wouldn’t it be a great idea if PSS, man’amko and the Call-A-Ride (Office of the Mayor) all work together to coordinate a reliable, accessible and dependable transportation system? This is, after all, the intent of the United We Ride and the Project ACTION MPS campaigns. The CNMI CDD has gone in every imaginable direction to address the CNMI transportation issues affecting people with disabilities and it has extremely exceeded its commitment level. I applaud Mayor Tudela for accepting the challenge!

Thomas J. Camacho
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