[CapChapOhio] Uzurv Experiences Information Needed

Tue Oct 14 00:15:56 UTC 2025

Dear Eric,

Thank you for taking the lead on this important issue. I know that you and I have not always had the most pleasant interactions over the past few years, but I truly appreciate the work you are doing to address the growing concerns surrounding COTA Mainstream On-Demand, also known as UZURV.

I would like to contribute my own experiences and concerns. Before doing so, I want to ask for your permission to share your message with other blind individuals in the Central Ohio area who may not be on this list—this may include individuals I know personally or other blind-focused groups I’m involved with who are also being affected by UZURV’s ongoing service issues. To be clear, I will not share or forward your message without your approval.

I strongly believe that this issue goes beyond which organization someone belongs to—it impacts the entire blind community across Central Ohio. The more people who can stand behind these concerns, the greater the chance we have of getting the attention of both COTA and UZURV leadership.

Over the past year, my experience with UZURV has become extremely frustrating, stressful, and disappointing—to the point that I now only use the service when I absolutely have to. Some of the problems I’ve consistently faced include:

Reservations being scheduled incorrectly due to language barriers or lack of communication.

Frequent dropped calls and long wait times when trying to contact customer service.

Drivers arriving 15 minutes to an hour late on two to three trips per month—or sometimes not showing up at all.

Missed appointments, including one occasion where I was leading a meeting and had scheduled my pickup early, yet the driver never arrived.

Drivers who cannot effectively communicate their location, fail to follow special instructions, or rely on inaccurate GPS routes that make trips unnecessarily long and more expensive.

I’ve attempted to communicate these issues with UZURV operations and to suggest solutions, such as improved driver training. Some drivers have told me their “training” only involved watching short videos and signing off afterward, with no hands-on guidance or accountability. Others have admitted they can mark themselves “en route” just minutes before pickup, which clearly does not allow enough time for a timely arrival.

Additionally, I would strongly support an app that allows riders to schedule their own trips. Having to call in, repeat the same information multiple times, and correct reservationists for not reading details back correctly is exhausting and inefficient.

Once again, thank you for bringing attention to this matter. I hope you will consider allowing me to share your message with others who are facing the same challenges. The more voices we have, the stronger our message will be.

Sincerely,

Dustin S Grandstaff
Address: 5013 Godown RD. Apt A
Columbus OH 43220
Cell: 419-768-1521
Email: dustingrandstaff at gmail.com

-----Original Message-----
From: CapChapOhio <capchapohio-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Eric Duffy via CapChapOhio
Sent: Friday, October 10, 2025 6:53 PM
To: Capital Chapter (Columbus, Ohio) Mailing List <capchapohio at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Eric Duffy <peduffy63 at gmail.com>
Subject: [CapChapOhio] Uzurv Experiences Information Needed

I have been hearing about people having trouble getting to work and other appointments on time when using Uzurv. This happens for a number of reasons. If you have experienced this or no others who have please share stories on this list. The unemployment rate in the blind community is already too high, an  no one should lose a job or opportunities at  work because the company we pay for transportation can’t get us to work on time for what ever reason. We need to find out what people are actually experiencing and then develop a strategy for dealing with COTA and Uzurv.

Eric
_______________________________________________
CapChapOhio mailing list
CapChapOhio at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/capchapohio_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for CapChapOhio:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/capchapohio_nfbnet.org/dustingrandstaff%40gmail.com