No Show Policy

CUSTOMER RULES AND REGULATIONS

The following rules and regulations have been established to protect the welfare of, and to assure the safety and comfort for, the members of the public riding our vehicles or on our property, and to protect the continuing safe operation of the transit system.

These rules and regulations are subject to change at any time. The Delta Area Transit Authority may temporarily or permanently ban any rider from future use of this public transportation provider for violation of any of these Rules and Regulations, or for any other action by the rider that endangers other passengers or disrupts the operations of this public transportation provider.

. No passenger shall interfere with the safe operation of any bus, and will at all times respect the instructions of the bus driver in regard to the vehicle's operation.

· No passenger shall engage in violent, seriously disruptive, or illegal conduct, or act in such a way that represents a direct threat to the health or safety of others.

· No profanity or vulgarity is allowed while on board a vehicle or DATA phone, with the exception of passengers whose actions and verbiage are protected as a disability under ADA guidelines. 

· Passengers are not permitted to eat, drink, or smoke on a vehicle. Exceptions are made to allow eating or drinking which is medically necessary due to a passenger’s medical condition or treatment.

· No loud talking, screaming, singing or playing of music, except with ear phones, is allowed.

· Possessing, consuming, or being under the influence of alcohol or any illegal or controlled drugs/substances (except as authorized by prescription) is prohibited while riding any vehicle. The use of Medical Marijuana in any form is prohibited on Data Buses and Property. 

· No inappropriate display of affection or sexual activity toward the driver or other passengers will be allowed. Nor will any sexual self-stimulation be permitted.

· Placing your feet on seats or seat backs, or lying down on the seats.

· No release of human waste, including spitting is allowed. This does not include instances of vomiting or incontinence due to treatment, medication, or illness.

· Bringing onto transit property, odors and substances which unreasonably disturb others or interfere with their use of the transit system, whether such odors or substances are from one’s person, clothing, articles, accompanying animal, garbage or other source.

· Hazardous items such as flammables, unprotected glass, mirrors etc. and explosives are never allowed on the bus.

· Passengers may not violate any local ordinance, state or federal law.

· All of the above rules and regulations are applicable for any member of the public who visits or uses any building or facility operated by this public transportation provider.

PROCEDURES FOR A TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT RIDER BAN

If it is determined that an individual rider has violated one of the Customer Rules and Regulations, or has otherwise behaved in a way that endangers other passengers or disrupts the operations of providing public transportation, such an individual may be temporarily or permanently banned from using our public transportation services. Such a ban must be documented by a written incident report completed by the individual witnessing the conduct.

The Director/A committee will determine in its discretion the appropriate ban on a case by case basis. In making this determination, The Director/A committee must consider, but is not required to give equal weight to, each of the following: 

· The rider’s explanation for the behavior.

· Whether this is a first instance of improper behavior. 

· Whether there have been prior attempts to resolve the issue with the rider. 

· The type and severity of the behavior. 

· The nature, duration, and severity of the risk to themselves and others.

· The nature of the threat.

· Whether the police were involved.

· Whether there were any injuries or there was a probability that potential injury will actually occur.

· Prior bans for the same or different offenses. 

· Whether the individual has a medically documented disability that attributed to the behavior.

· Any other factor relevant about the situation.

After considering the above factors, The Director/A committee will determine whether it is appropriate to provide a written warning to the rider or to proceed with a ban from using the public transportation services and, if so, the duration of such ban. Warnings or bans are not to be used as punishment for conduct, but rather must be used only when appropriate to ensure the safety of other passengers and the orderly operation of transit services. [The Director/A committee] must ensure that adequate documentation is in a file to support the decision that a cause for suspension has been identified and carefully investigated, and that action is warranted.

If an individual is banned, temporarily or permanently, from using the public transportation services, the individual shall be provided with written notice of the ban. The ban may be sent to the individual by first class mail or hand delivered to the rider. The written notice must include the basis for the proposed action and describe the proposed sanction. It must also include the name, address, and telephone number of an individual to contact to request a hearing to appeal or contest the ban. In some circumstances, an immediate ban may be required. If so, the rider must be given verbal notice at the time the ban is imposed, and a written notice must follow as soon as possible.

If a request for a hearing is received, such a hearing shall be held within a reasonable time, and no later than thirty (30) days upon receipt of the request. The hearing will be held before a Delta Area Transit transportation official, board, or other committee, other than the one that initially imposed the ban. At the hearing, the individual, or their representative, must be given an opportunity to speak and explain his/her version of events, and must be permitted to present documents or other information (including information that the issues have been resolved or any options to mitigate the problems). The rider shall have the ability to have an attorney present. If information is presented at the hearing it must be considered. At the hearing, the Director/A committee that imposed the ban must present in writing or in person an account of the factors considered and why the ban was imposed. The hearing’s determination is final and binding.

These guidelines shall also be applicable should a vehicle passenger and/or other individual engage in disruptive or threatening behavior in a Delta area Transit Authority b

Executive Director ____________________    

Chairperson, Board of Directors _________________

Date Approved: ____________________