Specifications include, but are not limited to: The Contractor will be solely responsible for and required to schedule and dispatch all program trips using Valley Transit's paratransit scheduling system software. The software used is owned by Valley Transit, which is web-based and accessed by the Contractor via the internet. Internet service, workstations and the required hardware necessary for connectivity are the responsibility of the Contractor. The Contractor will not be allowed to utilize or modify this system or its components in any manner that is not specifically approved by Valley Transit and the City of Appleton Information Technology Department. The current scheduling system is a web-based system with tablets mounted in vehicles that provide realtime data to drivers and dispatchers. Valley Transit is currently out for bid for a new ITS system. This system would be in place prior to the contract start date. Valley Transit will be responsible for procuring and installing tablets & mounting equipment onboard the Contractor’s vehicles. Valley Transit will provide a telephone number that transfers to Contractor. The Contractor is required to have sufficient incoming phone lines and staff to manage telephone system. This includes sufficient capacity to handle calls from riders, along with the appropriate staffing to answer calls in a timely manner. Staffing capacity includes answering calls covering the operating hours of all programs, as described further below. Riders under The Connector program could potentially call starting at 2:00 AM for service days beginning at 4:00 AM, so the Contractor must be able to answer and respond to these calls for service. The phone system must also allow after-hour calls from customers who wish to cancel by leaving a message. The system must also allow after-hour calls from customers with immediate service needs and require live contact with an employee of the Contractor who can respond in a timely manner. The Contractor’s phone system shall not result in busy signals for incoming calls or excessively long hold times. Any hold times greater than 5 minutes are considered excessively long.
