CATS is seeking public comments regarding the implementation of a No-Show and Appeal Policy for Special Transportation Service (STS) and deviated fixed route service on the North Meck Village Rider.
Customers can provide their comments through September 30, 2017 via e-mail to or by calling 704-336-7433.
Below is the DRAFT of the No-Show and Appeal Policy.
1.0 Policy
This No-Show Policy is an effort to encourage Special Transportation Service (STS) customers to promptly notify the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) when they need to cancel a scheduled trip. Failure to provide timely notice of cancellation or no notice at all potentially impacts service to other CATS customers. This policy has been put in place to identify those STS customers who have established a pattern or practice of missed trips.
Any customer who incurs three (3) or more No-Shows or Late Cancellations in a calendar month will trigger a review of their trips to determine if a pattern or practice exists. No-Shows and Late Cancellations that occur due to circumstances that are beyond the customer’s control will not be counted.
If a customer has a No-Show or Late Cancellation for one trip and has one or more additional trips scheduled on the same day, CATS will not automatically cancel the customer’s subsequent trip(s). It is the customer’s responsibility to either take the later trip(s) or cancel it/them in a timely manner to avoid being charged with any additional No-Show.
Passengers that are found to have a pattern or practice of No-Shows or Late Cancellations will be subject to a suspension of service.
A suspension will begin ten (10) calendar days from the date of the Notice of Suspension letter unless an appeal request is received by CATS.
2.0 DefinitionS
2.1 No-Show. A No-Show occurs when the vehicle arrives at the pick-up location within the 30-minute pickup window (from 15 minutes before the scheduled pickup time to 15 minutes after the scheduled pickup time) and the customer does not board or the operator cannot reasonably see the customer approaching the vehicle after waiting five (5) minutes.
2.2 Late Cancellation. A Late Cancellation occurs when a customer cancels a trip less than two (2) hours before the scheduled trip.
2.3 Pattern or Practice. A pattern or practice exists when there are intentional, repeated, regular actions (not isolated, accidental, or singular incidents) of No-Shows or Late Cancellations that represent ten percent (10%)* or more of the total trips scheduled by the customer. Only actions within the control of the individual count as part of a pattern or practice.
* This represents 5X the average rate of No-Shows and Late Cancellations system-wide and may be adjusted if significant changes in the average rate are observed.
2.4 Excessive No-Shows or Late Cancellations. When a passenger has three (3) or more No-Shows or Late Cancellations in a calendar month, there will be a review to determine whether there is a pattern or practice of No-Shows or Late Cancellations.
3.0 pattern or practice of excessive no-shows AND LATE CANCELLATIONS
In an effort to reduce No-Shows and Late Cancellations, staff will review No-Shows and Late Cancellations each calendar month. If a customer has Excessive No-Shows or Late Cancellations in a calendar month, the customer’s frequency of use and proportion of No-Shows and Late Cancellations will be reviewed to determine whether the customer has a pattern or a practice of No-Shows or Late Cancellations (Example: No-Show for scheduled trips every Friday). A rate of No-Shows and/or Late Cancellations of ten percent (10%) or more over the total number of trips scheduled by the customer is considered a pattern or practice. Customers will be notified in the following manner after No-Shows or Late Cancellations:
3.1 For the first No-Show or Late Cancellation in a calendar month, the customer will receive a written warning. The letter will include the date, time, and location of the No-Show or Late Cancellation and a copy of this No-Show and Appeal Policy.
3.2 For the second No-Show or Late Cancellation in a calendar month, the customer will receive another written warning that includes the date, time, and location of the No-Shows or Late Cancellations and a copy of this No-Show and Appeal Policy.
3.3 The third and each future No-Show or Late Cancellation within a calendar month will trigger a review of the customer’s travel records to determine whether the customer has a pattern or practice of No-Shows or Late Cancellations. The No-Shows and Late Cancellations in a calendar month are reviewed and a calculation is performed to determine if the number of the customer’s No-Shows and Late Cancellations exceeds 10% of the number of trips scheduled by the customer for the month
3.3.1 If a pattern or practice has not been established (No-Shows and Late Cancellations are not 10% or more than the total number of trips scheduled by the customer), the customer will receive a written warning that includes the date, time, and location of the No-Shows and Late Cancellations and a copy of this No-Show and Appeal Policy.
3.3.2 If it is determined that the customer has a pattern or practice of No-Shows and/or Late Cancellations, the customer will receive a Notice of Suspension letter stating that the customer will be suspended from STS services for three (3) days. The notice will include the date, time, and location of the No-Shows and Late Cancellations for the calendar month, the dates for the suspension period, and the procedure for appealing the suspension.
3.3.3 The suspension will begin ten (10) calendar days from the estimated date of receipt of the Notice of Suspension letter, unless the customer appeals the decision as outlined in Section 4 below. Suspended customers will have their subscription service postponed until an analysis of their No-Shows and Late Cancellations can be made.
3.4 After receiving a suspension, each additional No-Show or Late Cancellation in a rolling 12-month period will trigger a review of the customer’s travel records to determine whether the customer continues a pattern or practice of No-Shows or Late Cancellations. Repeated violations of this Policy will cause the length of suspensions to increase. The following suspension periods shall apply to violations of this Policy that occur within the same rolling 12-month period.
- First suspension - Three (3) days
- Second suspension - Five (5) days
- Third suspension - Ten (10) days
- Fourth or more suspension - Twenty (20) days
4.0 no-show AND LATE CANCELLATIONS appeal procedure
4.1 Appealing a No-Show and/or Late Cancellation
CATS understands that a customer may be prevented from taking a scheduled trip or cancelling a scheduled trip in a timely manner due to circumstances that are out of the customer’s control. Examples include family emergencies, illness, personal attendant did not arrive on time, appointment cancelled by 3rd party, or trips missed due to CATS error. These No-Shows and Late Cancellations will not be counted against the customer. However, it is the customer’s responsibility to notify STS of the circumstances surrounding the No-Show or Late Cancellation as soon as possible by contacting the STS Scheduling Manager by phone or in writing at:
STS Scheduling Manager
901 North Davidson Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
Fax: 704.336.5119
Telephone: 704.336.6103
E-mail:
Customers should include “Excused No-Show” or “Excused Late Cancellation” in the subject line and their name, contact information, and the reason the No-Show or Late Cancellation should be excused.
4.2 Appealing a No-Show and/or Late Cancellation Suspension
A customer who receives a Notice of Suspension letter may appeal the suspension in writing or by phone to the STS Appeals Coordinator at:
STS Appeals Coordinator
901 North Davidson Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
Fax: 704.336.5119
Telephone: 704.336.5055
E-mail:
Customers should include “No-Show Suspension Appeal” in the subject line and their name, contact information, and the reason for the appeal.
If an appeal is made, CATS will postpone the suspension until a determination is made by the STS Appeal Board. The customer will be invited to attend the STS Appeal Board meeting to present their case. Upon the decision of the STS Appeal Board, a decision letter will be mailed to the customer. If the suspension is upheld, the dates of the suspension will be included in the letter. If the suspension is overturned by the STS Appeal Board, the customer will be notified of that decision and there will be no interruption of their STS service.
The STS Appeal Board is chaired by a City of Charlotte Assistant City Manager. The other two (2) members of the STS Appeal Board are a member of the City’s Human Resources or Community Relations Departments, and an individual with a disability who uses or has used STS Service.
Customers can provide their comments through September 30, 2017 via e-mail to or by calling 704-336-7433.