Disability rights advocates decry Metro Transit’s Call-A-Ride as unreliable

A cyberattack on Metro Transit froze its Call-A-Ride van service this month and left people in St. Louis and St. Louis County’s disability community without transportation for about three days.

Local disability rights advocates say the recent disruption reflects long-standing issues that make paratransit services – which are required by law – inaccessible and unreliable.

“People with disabilities should have the right to have a barrier-free life and have a full and happy life,” Jeanette Mott Oxford told St. Louis on the Air. “Transportation is absolutely essential to that.”

Oxford, a former Missouri state representative who now serves as the public policy and advocacy manager at the disability advocacy nonprofit Paraquad, said the paratransit service is failing many riders.

In April, Metro Transit eliminated service for some areas in St. Louis County to help deal with a shortage of drivers. A Metro spokesperson also said the changes were necessary to meet service needs for anyone in the federally required service area.

In a statement, Metro Transit said the agency is committed to extensive outreach with Call-A-Ride customers. “We want to continue to have real conversations with our customers with disabilities and their allies,” the statement read. “We are working hard to make our planning and implementation processes more inclusive.”

Advocates like Etefia Umana, who is blind and has used the service for the past nine years, say they want Metro Transit to meaningfully include people with disabilities in decision-making.