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NJ girl stuck when NJ Transit bus wheelchair lift breaks


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FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — A malfunctioning wheelchair lift on an NJ Transit commuter bus left a 12-year-old girl stuck in midair, ruining her family’s holiday outing after the lift on a backup bus that arrived an hour later also failed to work.

 

Bus Route: 113

 

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Maybe the wheelchair lift malfunctioned because its old or maybe it hasn't been used in a while. But until NJT investigates and finds out why it failed, then we will never know.

 

 

 

The biggest issue with the RICON lift in the D4000/4500s is that fact that if they aren't cycled regularly then they tend to get bound up and freeze. Add to the fact that most drivers on the MCI lines don't get regular wheelchair passengers which leads to unfamiliarity with how the lifts work and now you have a bad situation. Personally had I been placed in that position of using a lift that I was uncertain if it would work or not, I would have cycled the lift before putting the passenger up there. But hindsight is 20/20.....Ironbound has some work to do.

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One of the things to check when getting a bus is that ADA lift. I have refused buses before I departed because that lift did not work, including NABI's. People fail to realize that there was a time that NJT had people in wheelchairs call in a day before to reserve a spot on the bus for a wheelchair. Now that all buses are ADA-compliant, that requirement is no longer needed, except if someone was to travel to PABT or GWBBS. That's why I usually pretripped my bus 30 minutes before I leave, just to check that ADA lift. So, in case if it doesn't work, someone can give me another one and I can check it to see if it works. This is a simple case of not checking equipment enough. Not placing blame on any B/O but this could of been avoided. Also, I won't blame a B/O since they only have 3 minutes from punching in there register in the dayroom to get to their bus and leave. No B/O gets paid during pre-trip at NJT. Sad, isn't it? I don't know if MTA is the same.

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isn't the rail station near there wheelchair accessible?

 

Yeah it is, but it wouldn't matter. They were going into NYC and the RVL ends at Newark. Their daughter is in a wheelchair, I'm sure the last thing they'd want to do is wait for a xfer at Newark.

 

Anyway, I don't see why NJT doesn't give the drivers enough time to check the Wheelchair before going out. You have to put safety first.

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Yeah it is, but it wouldn't matter. They were going into NYC and the RVL ends at Newark. Their daughter is in a wheelchair, I'm sure the last thing they'd want to do is wait for a xfer at Newark.

 

Anyway, I don't see why NJT doesn't give the drivers enough time to check the Wheelchair before going out. You have to put safety first.

 

 

Not to mention Penn Station is on 34th street, then they would've had a longer walk to get to Rockafeller which is on 49th street

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Yeah it is, but it wouldn't matter. They were going into NYC and the RVL ends at Newark. Their daughter is in a wheelchair, I'm sure the last thing they'd want to do is wait for a xfer at Newark.

 

Anyway, I don't see why NJT doesn't give the drivers enough time to check the Wheelchair before going out. You have to put safety first.

 

 

Cost. That's what it pretty much is. NJT starts paying their drivers 3 minutes before them come in, when they punch their RDM in and pretty much clock in for the day. Remember that NJT pays their hourly rate but in minute increments, not every 15 minutes. Even people that put in delay slips put EXACTLY how much time they were delayed, for example 22 minutes instead of saying 20 minutes. It adds up by the end of the week. Funny though that NJT Full Service lines pay the driver an extra 15 minutes to get their money and tickets together. Exact Change do not (Which is crazy considering the 107, 108, 123, 125, & 126 takes tickets or passes only in NYC. 126 should get at least 10 minutes to get their tickets together). Pretty much, if NJT has time to pay the driver for getting their $$ and tickets together, what's 15 minutes to them to make sure their equipment is SAFE and ready to be used? Just my opinion.

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