uber/lyft
All Uber requests should be made through our Uber health platform. Lyft rides should be done from the provided phones.
In an effort to reduce cancellations, save your requests as a draft in the beginning of your shift and request the vehicle after confirming with the passenger.
Input all of the pick-up information.
When the passenger is ready for transportation, click on "Drafts" , "Set up ride" and then hit "Request Now"
Zello Direct connect
CALLS TAB: is where incoming calls will appear. You will get a sound notification and see the pending call. Accept the call in order to hear and speak with the caller
CONTACTS TAB: is where you will find your direct contacts and the users in the dispatch channel.
CHANNELS TAB: allows you to communicate with everyone on the channel at the same time.
RECENTS TAB: is where you will find and access the latest conversations between the drivers and the individual clients.
Zello Map
Zello symbols
Scope: Opens the map and shows you where the driver is located.
Orange minus sign: "Busy", The driver could be on the phone or using his bluetooth. The driver is unavailable.
Hollow Green Circle: "Standby", Means the driver is offline and their current location is not updating.
Green Check: "Available", The driver's map is tracking and his current location is updating.
Black Dialogue Box: The driver's location is turned to off.
Mic: Allows you to communicate with the driver or client.
Recognizing the 5 boroughs
NYC Toll bridges & Congestion pricing
NYC TOLL BRIDGES: We pay a toll for each time a driver crosses a toll bridge. There is a $6.00 toll to go in and out of Far-Rockaway.
NYC TOLL BRIDGES: The congestion pricing toll is expected to be recommended at $15 for cars to enter midtown Manhattan, which will be in addition to the $17.63 drivers pay at the Lincoln and Holland tunnels starting in 2024, according to a draft of the report obtained by NorthJersey.com
Dispatching instructions
Dispatching:
-Please make sure to arrive 10 mins prior to shift, so setup is completed and drivers are aware of shift change (if applicable)
-When you start your shift, you must radio the site and each driver that is working during your shift to let them know that you have started. “Good Morning/evening (Driver’s Name), this is (Your Name), I am dispatching.
-Make sure all of the drivers that are working during your shift have their Zello locations turned on.
-We use two terms, Heavy & Light when dispatching.
-Heavy: Passenger is inside of the car.
-Light: Driver has dropped off the passenger.
-Always answer the phone by saying "Good morning/afternoon/evening. Gotham Shuttle, how may I assist/help you?” or "Good morning/afternoon/evening. Gotham Shuttle (Your Name) speaking.
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-ALWAYS insert a note for canceled rides.
-Examples.
Pt. rescheduled appt.
Pt. cxld appt
Pt. is at a different address.
Pt. has transportation to the site.
Pt. needed a WAV
-When there is a cancellation, or if a pickup time has been changed, check the rides assigned to Uber to see if one of our drivers can complete the ride.
-If a patient’s pickup time is changed, Please notify the driver of the changes.
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-Complete all rides ASAP to remove them from the Driver's queue.
-When there is a ride that has been added on during your shift, please assign it to an available driver even if the pickup time is not during your shift.
-Immediately contact management with any issues, pertaining to the sites, drivers or passengers. Document the issue in the incidents tab.
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-Satisfy all Client Request on the Transportation Card ASAP. Notify Drivers of any changes.
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-RETURN RIDE: Contact the site at the time of pick-up to get a status on a return ride. If the ride needs to be rescheduled, immediately reschedule it and notify the driver. If 20mins has passed after the rescheduling the pick-up contact the client again and determine if you should cancel the ride and duplicate it when the patient is ready. A driver can wait no more than the time it will take to make him late for his next pick-up.
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-When you duplicate a ride, ensure that the correct date, time, and Client has been chosen.
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-If you accidentally assign a ride to a driver that has a ride at that specific time, you will see a notification under his name in the Scheduler Window. The notification will read, "DRIVER HAS MULTIPLE REQUESTS AT THIS DATE & TIME" in red. Simply change the driver to rectify this.
Drivers:
-Drivers should be at the pickup at least 10-15 mins prior to the pickup time. If you see a driver is not moving on the Zello app, radio/text/call the driver to confirm he is in route.
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-Drivers should update their status to "In-route" no later than 15 min prior to the pick-up time.
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-If a driver is waiting for a passenger at the clients location, the drivers status should be "Arrived".
-Drivers should not pickup patients too early or too late. Pickups should be within a 10-15 min window of the patient’s pickup time.
-Notify the drivers of any changes to their pick-ups.
-DO NOT allow drivers to leave early without informing management and getting the “ok” first.
-If the address is incorrect and the driver HAS "Arrived" at the location, cancel the ride If its more than 1 mile away and create a new request with the new address from the "All Request Tab". Make sure to choose the client attached to the ride.
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-If the address is incorrect and the driver HAS NOT "Arrived" at the location, change the address by clicking on the "edit details" button and inputting the new address. After changing the address, close the edit detail button.
-Add tolls for drivers going from Bronx to Queens, Queens to Bronx, Bronx to Brooklyn, Brooklyn to Bronx and sometimes from Manhattan to Queens depending on traffic and if taking toll cuts time. If the ride was canceled, the toll should only be for one-way.
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-If a driver is is waiting for their pickup, map out the distance and determine how long the driver can wait before they will be late for their next pickup.
Patients:
-When making changes to a patient’s pickup, ALWAYS make the necessary changes to the return. PLEASE CONFIRM ANY CHANGES WITH THE SITE.
Examples:
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a. If the patient is getting picked up 1 hr earlier, the return should be 1 hr earlier.
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b. If the site cancels the patient’s pickup, confirm whether we need to cancel the return ride.
Sites:
-The sites should be contacted about any changes that could affect the patients scan time. Ex. (contact the site when there is a situation that is going to cause the patient’s pickup to surpass our 10-15 min window).
-Confirm Return rides with the sites. This way you can have enough time to move rides around if needed, to have coverage
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Uber/lyft:
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-At the beginning of your shift, save all Uber requests as drafts, submit and delete the requests when necessary.
Only use Uber when none of our drivers are available to pick up the patient within a 10-15 min window of their pickup time. This only applies to the pickup from the patient’s home. If it is from the site we have a 20 min window.
-Before requesting the Uber, call the patient 10 mins before the scheduled pickup time to confirm the address. (Only for pickups from the Patients home)
Script: “Good morning/afternoon/evening Mr./Mrs. (Patient’s Name). This is the car service providing you transportation to your appointment. I’m calling to confirm you are getting picked up at (The address on the spreadsheet). Are you ready to get picked up now?
If the patient says, “Yes”, respond by saying “We are sending you a car, it’s going to be an (Uber or Lyft). Is it ok if I text this number with the driver’s information. The driver should be there in just a few minutes. Please be ready because the drivers won’t wait more than 5 mins after arrival. When you get in the car, please say Gotham”
If the patient says, “No”, respond by saying “You are scheduled for a pickup at (patient's pickup time). What time would you like for us to get you”. If it’s outside of our 15min window contact the site and notify them that their patient is requesting a later pickup.
***When requesting an Uber/Lyft, ALWAYS use the zip code when inputting the patient's address in the app.
-Enter the Uber Fare in the "Alt. Fare (Uber or Lyft)" window before hitting submit.
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-When requesting a W.A.V for YN,WN, or WP and there are no cars in the area. Request a pick-up from 586 W 235th St. Bronx, NY 10463 (Dunkin Donuts) or 4194 White Plains Rd, Bronx NY 10466 (Dunkin Donuts). Make the drop-off the patients Pick-Up address. Afterwards call the driver to explain we needed a WAV but there were no cars in the area. Inform them that we will add the addition stop to the Site/Client as soon as they start the meter at Dunkin Donuts.
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Zello:
Some of the sites use Zello to communicate with the dispatchers. Those sites are currently (BX, DT, ES, YN, WP). First try to contact them on Zello. If you are unable to reach them on Zello, call them! When prompted, Press 3 or 5.
In order for both Dispatchers to hear the drivers and the sites at the same time, the drivers or sites must use the “Gotham Dispatcher Channel”
When someone communicates with you over the Zello app, please acknowledge or end communication by saying “copy”. This lets them know you heard what was said.
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Assigning A Ride:
Step 1. Determine which drivers are working for that center or in the vicinity.
Step 2. Check which drivers are free during the time of pickup.
Step 3. Check the distance of the ride in the Dispatch Tab
Step 4. map out the ride to see if the driver will make it on time.
Step 5. Check if the driver's next ride will be affected by the "add on". If so, start over from step 1.
Step 6. Assign the ride to the available driver.