RID F - RIDE Vehicle Operator Policies.pdf

The RIDE Vehicle Operator Policies June 15, 2026 Version 1.0 Page 1 of 8

The RIDE Vehicle Operator

Policy

Version 1.0 Page 2 of 8

Table of Contents Document Control

Document Management and Authoring

Document Review and Approval

Version History

Dress Code

Uniform Standards

Uniform Specifications

Identification Badge

Accessibility and Level of Service

Door-to-Door Service

Child Passenger Restraints

Service Animals

Locating Customers

Customer Identification

Customer Privacy

Vehicle-to-Vehicle Transfer

General Courtesies

Assistance with Packages

Tips and Gifts

Courtesy and Etiquette

Fraternization

Version 1.0 Page 3 of 8

Document Control

Document Management and Authoring DOCUMENT TITLE RIDE Vehicle Operator Policies

RELEASE DATE June 15, 2026

VERSION AND STATUS 1.0

FILENAME OTA-RIDE Vehicle Operator Policies_REV1.0

PREPARED FOR OFFICE FOR TRANSPORTATION ACCESS

Action Name Title Company

Document Review and Approval Date Version Name Title Company Initials

Version History Version Author Reviewer Comment Status Pub. Date Exp. Date

Version 1.0 Page 4 of 8

Dress Code The Contractor shall submit uniform and identification badge designs to the MBTA for approval. The Contractor shall ensure that its Vehicle Operators adhere to the dress code and take appropriate corrective action if any Vehicle Operators fail to comply with the dress code.

Uniform Standards

1. All Vehicle Operators, including trainees, are required to wear a uniform consisting of a light blue polo shirt and navy blue full-length pants.

2. T-shirts, tank tops, and jeans are prohibited. Jackets, outer garments, and caps, as dictated by climate, must comply with uniform standards.

3. All uniforms must be tidy with no rips or stains.

4. If a Vehicle Operator voluntarily uses a filtering facepiece respirator, it must be an N95 or equivalent face mask.

5. The use of gaiters, balaclavas, scarves, or other non-religious headwear that covers the entire face of a Vehicle Operator is prohibited.

6. Religious headwear shall be allowed, with approval.

7. Clothing must be solid colors only, without patterns, political statements, or commercial logos. The only allowable logo is to identify The RIDE.

8. Vehicle Operators must wear approved safety vests or jackets with high-vis striping that meet the uniform requirements or interfere minimally with any RIDE branding on the Vehicle Operator’s shirt or jacket.

9. All footwear (shoes, work boots, winter boots) shall be all black and have black, non-skid soles. High heels, sneakers, and open sandals are prohibited.

Uniform Specifications

1. Vehicle Operator shirts and jackets shall have a 7-inch navy blue , “T” logo on the back with the words “The RIDE” underneath in bold 1-inch navy blue, block lettering, and, on a separate line below, the words “Operated by” followed by the Contractor’s name all in navy blue, block lettering in 0.5-inch height. All shirts must display a 3.5-inch navy blue “T” logo on the left front chest, with the words “The RIDE” displayed underneath, in 0.5-inch navy blue, block lettering. Vehicle Operator hats/caps must display a 2-inch navy blue “T” logo with the words “The RIDE” displayed underneath, in 0.5-inch navy blue, block lettering. The Vehicle Operator shall not wear or display any insignia, patch, or emblem other than those supplied by the Contractor and approved by the MBTA.

Version 1.0 Page 5 of 8

2. Vehicle Operator jackets shall be navy blue with reflective and/or high visibility striping (minimum 1 inch in width). Lettering shall be white and include a 7-inch “T” logo on the back with the words “The RIDE” underneath in bold, 1-inch block lettering, and, on a separate line below, the words “Operated by” followed by the Contractor’s name (as identified by the Contract), in block lettering in 0.5-inch height. All jackets must display a 3.5-inch “T” logo on the right shoulder/sleeve and a 3.5-inch “T” logo on the left front chest, with the words “The RIDE” displayed underneath in bold 0.5-inch block lettering.

Identification Badge The Vehicle Operator shall wear a Contractor-issued and MBTA-approved identification badge in a manner visible to customers. The badge must state the Contractor’s name (as identified by the contract), the Vehicle Operator’s name, and the words “The RIDE.”

Accessibility and Level of Service

Door-to-Door Service

3. The Vehicle Operator shall provide door-to-door service to the maximum extent possible without “losing control and oversight” of vehicles or other customers. This is defined as assistance to or from the exterior-most door of a residence or designated address, unless the door is more than 150 feet from the vehicle or prohibits line of sight from the vehicle. For the avoidance of doubt, the exterior-most door does not include interior doors within an apartment complex, large medical facility, or other large facility.

4. If distance from the vehicle or problems with line of sight prohibit door-to-door assistance, or there is no safe parking space or accessible path to the door, or the parking environment requires unsafe maneuvers, the location will be deemed “non-serviceable” and the Vehicle Operator will be authorized to offer service at an alternative serviceable location or provide curb-to-curb service instead.

5. If the Vehicle Operator encounters a non-serviceable location, the customer shall be informed of the problem and either offered service at an alternative location that is serviceable or informed that curb-to-curb service is the only alternative. If the customer refuses to de-board the vehicle at the disputed location, the Vehicle Operator shall contact TRAC for further instructions.

Version 1.0 Page 6 of 8

6. The Vehicle Operator shall not go beyond the threshold of the exterior-most door and the MBTA will not accept responsibility for services rendered beyond this point.

7. The Vehicle Operator shall exit the vehicle and provide assistance for boarding or de-boarding of customers and assist the customer along the entire path of travel between the vehicle and the first exterior-most door at the customer’s origin and destination unless refused by the customer. Such assistance may include allowing the customer to hold the Vehicle Operator’s arm and maneuvering the customer’s wheelchair, always with the consent or specific request of the customer. The Vehicle Operator shall assist the customer over a maximum of one curb and/or one step if the customer is in a manual wheelchair (several steps if passenger is ambulatory). The Vehicle Operator shall not to operate a powered mobility device for a Customer.

Child Passenger Restraints The RIDE does not provide child seats or booster seats, which shall be required for use of children in accordance with federal and state laws. Registered customers or their PCAs shall procure, maintain, and be responsible for providing all child passenger restraint systems.

Service Animals

1. The Vehicle Operator shall not allow comfort/therapy animals or pets on board vehicles, with the exception of Service Animals (28 C.F.R. Part 35.136). At all times Service Animals shall only be transported if tethered, leashed, or harnessed and at the feet of their owners, not in a carrier on a seat or customer’s lap. The MBTA reserves the right to restrict the types of vehicles that carry Service Animals.

2. The Vehicle Operator shall notify TRAC immediately and await further instruction in the event that the customer attempts to board the vehicle with a service animal that is not indicated on the customer’s profile or trip manifest or if a customer attempts to board the vehicle with any animal that does not qualify as a service animal or any vehicle that does not have sufficient space to transport a service animal.

Locating Customers

1. Once a vehicle arrives at a designated pick-up location, the Vehicle Operator is required to wait five minutes for the customer to arrive. If the vehicle arrives earlier than the scheduled pick-up window, the five-minute wait time period shall not start until the

Version 1.0 Page 7 of 8 beginning of the scheduled pick-up window. The Vehicle Operator shall not leave the pick-up location until five minutes after either the scheduled pick-up time or the arrival of the vehicle, whichever is later, unless authorized otherwise by TRAC Dispatch.

2. In the event the Vehicle Operator cannot immediately visually locate a customer upon arrival, upon waiting to the beginning of the scheduled pick-up window, the Vehicle Operator shall verbally announce his or her arrival, knock on the door and/or ring the doorbell, and make subsequent announcements.

3. If the Vehicle Operator cannot locate a customer, the Vehicle Operator shall immediately contact TRAC Dispatch. TRAC Dispatch will attempt to reach the customer and will provide further instructions to the Vehicle Operator.

4. If the vehicle arrives and the customer cancels at the door, the Vehicle Operator shall notify TRAC Dispatch immediately and obtain further instructions.

5. Once a Vehicle Operator successfully locates a customer, the Vehicle Operator shall identify themselves as being a Vehicle Operator for The RIDE.

Customer Identification The Vehicle Operator shall ask for and confirm a customer’s first name, last name, and destination town prior to boarding. If the Vehicle Operator is unable to confirm this information, the Vehicle Operator must contact TRAC for further direction.

Customer Privacy The Vehicle Operator shall keep confidential any information that the Vehicle Operator may have about the medical or other condition of the customer except as needed to perform the services under this Contract.

The Vehicle Operator is permitted to report medical information to authorized medical assistance personnel who report to the scene of an accident or medical emergency.

Vehicle-to-Vehicle Transfer The paratransit software will determine if a trip requires a transfer depending on the location of all pickups and drop-offs on any given day. Once the vehicle arrives at the transfer location, the Vehicle Operator shall wait with the customer in the vehicle until the second vehicle arrives unless there is an appropriate waiting facility for the customer.

Version 1.0 Page 8 of 8

General Courtesies

Assistance with Packages The Vehicle Operator will assist all registered customers with a limited and manageable amount of packages or grocery bags. Driver will only assist with packages such that they can safely assist the Customer at the same time and only in a single trip to or from the external-most door of the pick-up or drop-off location. Transportation will not be provided to registered customers who exceed this policy in accordance with the package assistance policy as outlined in The RIDE Guide and subject to change.

The Vehicle Operator shall not provide assistance for packages for PCAs and companions. All PCAs and companions are responsible for carrying their own personal items.

Tips and Gifts The Vehicle Operator is prohibited from soliciting, encouraging, or accepting payment of a tip, gratuity, additional payment, or any gifts or service from any customer at any time. Engaging in such conduct is grounds for immediate removal from service.

Courtesy and Etiquette The Vehicle Operator shall at all times be courteous to customers. In the event of an abusive customer, the Vehicle Operator shall conduct themselves as they have been trained to do in the sensitivity training provided by the Contractor and shall report the incident to TRAC.

Fraternization No fraternization is allowed during work hours. In addition to Contractor guidance on relationships between other employees, if a Vehicle Operator is in an intimate relationship with a customer, it must be disclosed to the Contractor.