Several weeks ago while sitting in the hospital rehab waiting room, a couple in their 80s came and sat beside me.

The lady was quite flustered as she had difficulty finding a parking spot and once she did, her husband, who wasn’t licensed to drive, had to park because she can’t.

The lady then asked me where I parked, and I told her I didn’t, that I took a cab because my specialist’s receptionist had told me it would be unsafe for me to drive for close to an hour after my procedure as my legs would be quite rubbery.

And if my legs were too rubbery for me to drive, they would certainly be too rubbery for me to walk to Pandosy, wait for a bus, transfer, and so forth.

Consequently, taking a cab was my only option as I saw it. The lady thought I had one more—the handyDART.

I told her I didn’t qualify.

According to a Kelowna transit system pamphlet, “handyDART is a transportation service for persons who have a disability that is sufficiently severe that the person is unable to use conventional transit service without assistance.”

HandyDART is a shared-ride public transit system, which means that other passengers are picked up and dropped off enroute to one’s destination. Users must register with handyDART in advance. Call 250-762-3278 for more information or to request a copy of the Kelowna regional handyDART brochure.

If you wish to book a trip with handyDART, call 762-3278, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. After office hours, leave a message; and they will get back to you asap.

Let them know if you’lll be accompanied by a handyDART attendant. This person may be essential to enable a registered handyDART user to travel on handyDART.

The attendant’s origin and destination must be the same as the passenger’s. Only the user pays a fare.

A companion is a person travelling with a handyDART passenger whose presence isn’t essential to the passenger. Companions pay the appropriate fare. Bus drivers cannot perform the duties of a personal attendant.

They cannot leave the bus to assist you with your mobility aid or lift you and/or your mobility aid except in an emergency. One-way trip fees for passengers and companions are $2 each. Monthly passes are $60.

It gets even better. There’s also a taxi saver program for registered handyDART customers allowing them to purchase a booklet of taxi saver coupons worth $60 for $30 once a month. These coupons may be used when handyDART is unavailable for transport or when an unplanned trip occurs. When you book your taxi, tell the dispatcher that it’s a taxi saver trip and let them know if you’ll need a wheelchair or scooter accessible cab.

Checkmate Cabs (250-861-1111), Kelowna Cabs (250-762-2222), In-Town Taxi (250-212-1212), Star Taxi (250-878-9070) and Driving Miss Daisy (250-860-3272) participate in the taxi saver program. The first two companies have wheelchair and scooter accessible vehicles.

The lady in the hospital was very afraid that her specialist was going to revoke her license, even though he had given her no such indication.

She kept saying, “They’re trying to get seniors off the roads.” Well, to the best of my knowledge there is no such conspiracy afoot.

However, if and when the time comes that a senior should no longer be driving, what better place could such a golden ager be living in than Kelowna where the transit system offers every conceivable service and consideration for very reasonable fares.

Imagine, a monthly bus pass can even be used to claim a tax credit on one’s income tax return. What will they think of next!

Elsie Dawe is a Kelowna-based freelance writer and retired educator.

elsiedawe@shaw.ca