City to Buy Software to Aid Van Service

Within four months, booking a trip on the Dial-A-Ride van service should get a whole lot easier for Simi Valley residents.

That’s thanks to a City Council vote Monday night authorizing the purchase of a $44,700 dispatching and scheduling software program for Dial-A-Ride, a popular low-cost service that provides rides for senior citizens and the disabled.

The council also voted unanimously to spend $6,000 on a maintenance contract for the system, developed by Multisystems Inc. of Cambridge, Mass.

Over the past two years, Dial-A-Ride’s popularity has soared, according to Community Services Director Diane Jones. In that time, trips have increased by 91%--up to 28,000 trips annually.

The new computer system will allow clients to schedule van rides in advance by phone and reschedule automatically.

It will also map the most efficient routes for the vans, automatically calculate distance and travel time, and maintain a database of trips already taken.

The present software system is overwhelmed by the scheduling demand.

The city’s 1997-98 budget included $52,000 for the new software.