Share-a-Fare

What is Share-A-Fare?

Share-A-Fare (SAF) is a transportation program that serves people who need door-to-door transportation because a disability prevents them from driving a car on their own, or prevents them from using bus service. The service provides Complementary Paratransit Trips as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act throughout The Metro bus service area, as well as some other transportation services for eligible persons in Kansas City, Mo. Most people using the program are 65 years old or older.

To join the program, a completed application must be obtained and submitted. If determined to be eligible, the applicant is enrolled. Each program participant receives an ID card. Trips are scheduled by calling at least 24 hours in advance. The reservation phone number is 816-842-9070. The TDD line for the hearing impaired is 816-221-0380.

For questions, call the Share-A-Fare office at 816-346-0810.

How To Use Share-A-Fare Door-to-Door Service

Call 816-842-9070 to schedule your trip and have the following information:

Your Share-A-Fare identification number
The day and date you want to travel
The pickup and return times
The complete street address of your destination

Going to a hospital, shopping mall, or other destination with several entrances? Tell the coordinator which door you will use for your pickup and return trips.

Other Considerations

Are there stairs, locked security entrances, locked gates, fencing? Is the street you live on difficult to find, etc.? Please, tell the coordinator. These factors that may affect the driver’s ability to reach you.
Will an attendant or companion be traveling with you? Tell the coordinator when you schedule your trip.
Tell the coordinator if you need help beyond the exterior most doors. They will code the trip for extra assistance and add a $1.15 charge to your one-way fare.

Subscription Service

If your work schedule remains the same every week, you can fill out a subscription form for your trips so you don’t have to call them in on a weekly basis.

Medicaid

If you qualify, no cost transportation is available for non-emergency Medicaid appointments. Please tell the call taker that it is a Medicaid trip and give your Medicaid number.

To Receive the Best Service Please Observe These Pointers

Schedule your trip before 4:45 p.m. of the day before you want to travel.
Call up to 14 days ahead. Trips must be scheduled by 4:45 p.m. the day before you want to travel. For example, if you want to travel at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, your trip must be scheduled by 4:45 p.m. on Monday. Share-A-Fare phone lines are open from 7:30 a.m. until 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Listen carefully to the Share-A-Fare coordinator to make sure your trip is scheduled correctly. Stay on the line and wait for your coordinator to repeat your travel arrangements to verify your information.
Get your coordinator’s name, your fare, and the carrier you will ride with. Your carrier is a cab company or van service that will take you to your destination.
Be prompt. Drivers are not required to wait for passengers who are not ready at their scheduled pick up times. Drivers are allowed to arrive up to 30 minutes past the scheduled time before being considered late.
Please, have exact fare ready for the driver. Your Share-A-Fare trip coordinator will give you the exact fare for each trip when you schedule your ride. Please have the exact fare. Drivers DO NOT give change.

Holidays

The Share-A-Fare office is closed on:

New Year’s Day in January
Memorial Day in May
Independence Day in July
Labor Day in September
Thanksgiving Day in November
Christmas Day in December

The Share-A-Fare office is open only a half day, from 8 to 11:30 a.m. on:

Martin Luther King Day in January
President’s Day in February
Veteran’s Day in November

The Pickup Point

Be ready and waiting just inside the exterior most doors designated.
Share-A-Fare drivers are only required to come to the exterior most doors. If you are using a wheelchair, you are required to have an accessible entrance to your home or apartment; otherwise your transportation service will be curb-to-curb. Drivers may not assist you to the curb.

Know how to recognize a Share-A-Fare vehicle and driver.
Vehicles will have “Share-A-Fare in Transit” signs in the windshield. Farecards and other Share-A-Fare information will be posted in clear view inside the vehicle. Drivers are required to wear badges identifying themselves as Share-A-Fare Drivers.

To check on late pickups, request your will call returns, or to cancel trips after Share-A-Fare office hours call the company you ride with: Checker Cab (816) 461-8440 or KC Taxi (816) 512-8020

To file a complaint or report a problem about your service, call Customer Service at (816) 346-0860.

Common Questions Asked About Share-A-Fare

Sometimes I get a “busy” signal when I try to call to schedule a trip. What is the best time to call?
Phone lines are busiest from 3:00 p.m. until 4:45 p.m. You are less likely to get a busy signal if you call Share-A-Fare in the morning or a couple of days before you want to travel. You may arrange your trips up to 14 days in advance, to eliminate last-minute confusion and worry about “getting in on time.” If you get a recording and are placed on “hold,” please remain on the line. Calls are answered in the order they are received. While on “hold,” use that time to make sure you have all the information for the coordinator.

What if I change my mind and cannot travel?
Don’t be a No Show! Cancel your trip at least one hour before the scheduled pickup time. After Share-A-Fare hours, call Checker at (816) 461-8440 or KC Taxi at (816) 512-8020. If you cancel with the carrier make a follow-up call to the Share-A-Fare office the next work day, so you will be credited with the canceled trip. If you fail to properly cancel ahead of time or you cancel at the door, you may receive a vendor report. Call (816) 842-9070 and give an explanation or your services may be suspended for six unexcused vendor complaints.

What if I don’t know how long my doctor’s appointment is going to take?
You may schedule a WILL CALL RETURN trip. Will Call Returns are for medical trips only. When you are ready for your return trip home, call (816) 842-0970 or your carrier after hours. Your cab or van will be dispatched as soon as possible. However, the carrier is allowed up to 60 minutes to arrive for all Will Call Returns.

What if I have a problem with my service?
Our goal is to provide the best service. Call any complaints or compliments to (816) 346-0860 within 5 days of the occurrence. Calls are retrieved daily from the complaint and compliment line.

Post These Numbers Near Your Phone For Quick Reference.
To schedule trips or request your Will Call Return during Share-A-Fare office hours call Share-A-Fare at (816) 842-9070.

To respond to a vendor report, file a complaint or report a problem call Customer Service (816) 346-0860.

To cancel your trip or check on your ride, after Share-A-Fare hours call the company you ride with.

Non-wheelchair users: Checker Cab (816) 461-8440 or KC Taxi Ambulatory and Wheelchair (816) 512-8020