MTM Transit has partnered with the County of Hawai’i Mass Transit Agency (MTA) to operate its Hele-On Kako’o Island-Wide paratransit services. Under the contract, which went live on January 1, MTM Transit operates every aspect of MTA’s paratransit services program, inclusive of paratransit eligibility assessments, travel training and actual paratransit service provision.
Hele-On, the county’s public transportation system, offers complementary Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit through its Hele-On Kako’o service. Services are available to individuals with disabilities who are unable to utilize the Hele-On fixed route bus due to their disability. The system is an advanced reservation, origin-to-destination service, with service available in Hilo, Puna and Kailua-Kona.
To support the operation of the system, MTM Transit employs a local staff of 13 teammates, including a project manager, a mobility specialist, four dispatchers, a safety trainer/road supervisor and six vehicle operators who work out of two dedicated offices in Hilo and Kailua-Kona. This new contract adds to MTM Transit’s existing operations in Hawaii, which include performing ADA eligibility assessments at TheHandi-Van Eligibility Center in Honolulu.
“The Hele-On Kako’o service is imperative to help people with disabilities access the Hawai’i County community and lead happy, healthy and productive lives,” said MTM Transit Regional Vice President Scott Transue. “We’re honored to be MTA’s single, trusted partner for eligibility assessments, travel training, and paratransit operations and look forward to offering MTA and its passenger's world-class innovation and a superior customer experience.”
“Our operation with MTA represents an opportunity for MTM Transit to showcase the value of leveraging our eligibility assessment, travel training and paratransit best practices to maximize program efficiency and control costs. We look forward to a long, successful relationship with the county and its Hele-On Kako’o passengers,” said MTM Transit Chief Operating Office Brian Balogh.
