MeVa did not follow required procedures for processing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit complaints. Specifically, MeVa’s contracted operating companies did not always send acknowledgments to complainants within 24 hours of the complaint and did not always document complaint outcomes. This issue was also identified during our previous audit (Audit No. 2022-0496-3A) and has not been resolved.
We examined the 10 ADA paratransit complaints that MeVa received during the audit period and noted the following issues:
- Four (40%) out of the 10 complaints had acknowledgments that were sent to the complainants after the allowed 24-hour timeframe, with delays as long as 18 days.
- One (10%) out of the 10 complaints did not have a documented follow-up response to the complainant.
By continuing to not follow the required procedures for its ADA paratransit complaint process, MeVa may not resolve significant issues regarding its transportation services in a timely manner or at all. This could have a negative impact on the quality of services that MeVa provides to its ADA-required paratransit riders.
Authoritative Guidance
According to 49 CFR 27.13(b)(3), “The recipient [of the complaint] must promptly communicate its response to the complaint allegations, including its reasons for the response, to the complainant by a means that will result in documentation.”
Additionally, according to MeVa’s “MVATC/STS Customer Complaint Procedures,”
Upon receiving the complaint, and if a phone number has been provided, the Office Coordinator will contact the customer as soon as possible (but within 24 hours) to let him/her know that the complaint was received by the appropriate department manager, is in the process of being investigated, and that appropriate actions will be taken to correct the problem. The log number is given to the complainant. If an email address has been provided instead of a phone number, the above information will be forwarded by email. If only a home address has been provided, a letter with the above information will be prepared and sent. Details of this contact must be logged at the bottom of the complaint form. The Office Coordinator will send an email to the [assistant general manager] confirming that initial contact has been made.
Reasons for Issue
MeVa does not have sufficient monitoring controls in place to ensure that its contracted operating companies acknowledge all ADA paratransit complaints within 24 hours and consistently document complaint follow-up actions and outcomes. MeVa also did not implement the recommendations from our prior audit to resolve this issue.
Recommendation
MeVa should implement monitoring controls to ensure that its contracted operating companies acknowledge ADA paratransit complaints within 24 hours, resolve complaints, and consistently document any follow-up actions and outcomes.
Auditee’s Response
In regards to the “ADA paratransit complaints,” the same comments about the [General Manager and Assistant General Manager] apply. This audit did show that some of the steps in regards to completing documentation were still not fully implemented and new stricter policies are being implemented now. . . .
MeVa has been monitoring our Paratransit Operations quarterly for quite some time, which includes complaints. MeVa has recently, separate from this audit, determined that the review of the complaints was insufficient and has taken steps to deepen the review. This in-depth review would have caught the mistakes and inconsistencies mentioned in Other Matters #1. Issues with 4 out of 10 complaints shows that improvements were made over the past review. MeVa Administration will also ask the Operations Management team for a weekly report of all complaints made so that timeliness is not an issue that remains.
Auditor’s Reply
We are pleased to see that MeVa is taking steps to strengthen its review of ADA paratransit complaints, including plans to implement more frequent reporting and a deeper review process. However, we note that more corrective actions are necessary following both our prior audit and this current audit.
In its response, MeVa states that issues in 4 out of 10 complaints reflect improvement since our prior audit. While we recognize progress being made, the continued occurrence of the same issues over multiple audit cycles indicates that the underlying issues have not yet been fully addressed.
We encourage MeVa to continue taking steps to improve by implementing our recommendations. As part of our post-audit review process, we will follow up on this matter in approximately six months.
| Date published: | May 5, 2026 |
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