Municipality Of Anchorage

My special needs daughter has been riding Anchor Rides since she was 6 years old and twice in the past month, her wallet was taken out of her work locker with her Anchor Ride ticket in it to give to the driver. We just had subscription rides as of this morning and today her wallet is missing and I had her care provider take a ticket to the Anchor Rides office and her subscription that was active this morning is now cancelled. My daughter is 35 going on 6-7 years old and for her to lose her wallet that has cash and a bus ticket and then be suspended due to no ticket at the time of service is HORRIBLE. She is crying as she feels like she is in trouble and we as parents are now having to call in to make the rides that should not have been cancelled. I called the ARC as all of their clients use Anchor Rides and I think we need a voice to help protect our Special Needs riders on a larger scale. I will now write to the Municipality and inquire how they feel this new contract is OK as it is the riders (we pay $5.50 per ride to and from work and now have to call in, we can't cancel a ride or we get suspended, can't be late or my daughter will be suspended and if her wallet is stolen or doesn't have a ticket she gets suspended. How is this good customer service and I had a ticket being taken to Anchor Rides 10 minutes after she was dropped off. These clients are very vulnerable and they depend on a little flexibility. I hope someone at a higher level is getting the incidents and if I can find another transportation system, I will definitely be taking option B. This makes me so sad as I listen as my daughter thinks she did something wrong and is crying. There has to be a second set of eyes on the Anchor Rides contract as it just isn't the way business is handled for these special consumers. Kimberly Fitzgerald Anchorage, Alaska Kimberly.fitzgerald6@***.com

My mother once said if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. Quality Assurance is no longer present for Anchor Rides We do not have a place to go to voice our issues and they are heard and addressed Some drivers need more training Can someone please help those of us who ride the bus. Rules are being made with a clear time for preparation. For example one day I called to schedule a ride and I was told that they were no longer taking calls after 5pm. I was informed of the new rule when I called to schedule the ride for the next day. W are now being told that if we miss days on the bus, then we will lose transportation for one solid month.

Horrible service! Handicapped and elderly people are constantly having to wait hours upon hours for rides while trying to get to apts or leave apts..while being told " they'll be there soon"! What a joke of a company! Get it together people!

Anchor Rides, Anchorage, Alaska is a federally funded transportation system for senior citizens and disabled. It is filled with incompetence and abuse. Scheduling is worse than worse. Seniors and disabled are frequently left, forgotten, or made to ride around or wait for hours. Drivers are incompetent and abusive. They smart off - meet at facilities and stand and talk for an hour. They are control freaks - mouthing off and verbally disciplining riders. This type of abuse needs to be stopped. Anchor Rides needs a thorough review - both of incompetent scheduling and incompetent drivers and supervisors. They remind one of shopping mall security. They want to be police or a real driver but are not capable enough to get a job as one. Many also seem to take pride in abusing their clients. It is appalling that the most vulnerable of our population are treated in such a horrid manner. Can someone suggest where to get the spotlight shone on this group and shake them up? The service is needed. As it currently stands, however, it s non-service and useless. What federal agency is in control of this? Can anyone suggest something to stop the abuse of our seniors? It does no good to go to the municipality for assistance. The "supervisors" also appear to be inadequate and ill equipped to do their jobs. Thank you.