HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A system change at METRO is causing some frustration among riders.<\/p>\n
METRO confirms it is using a new ride-booking platform for METROLift called OnDemand.<\/p>\n
METROLift<\/a> is a ride-share service for those who have disabilities.<\/p>\n Viewers who use METROLift have reached out to ABC13, expressing concerns about the booking system, saying it’s slow and takes over 40 minutes to get answers when they call customer service.<\/p>\n “Man, this is the worst. This is the worst. I hope METRO does better than what they’re doing,” MetroLift rider Kevin Smith said.<\/p>\n Smith says for the last week to two weeks, he’s noticed increased problems with scheduling his pick-up with METROLift to get to his important doctors’ appointments.<\/p>\n “I had to call. It took me almost 40 minutes to get through. I called, I called, I called,” Smith said.<\/p>\n METRO representatives confirm that they’ve combined METROLift and curb2curb services into one platform called OnDemand. They tell us these changes are contributing to a higher-than-usual volume of service calls, causing delays.<\/p>\n They say the new OnDemand app is supposed to make scheduling easier for riders and aim to have all of their information and profiles transferred to the new system by Friday.<\/p>\n “We (weren’t) informed. We (weren’t) prepped for it. There’s a lot of stuff that could’ve been done that they didn’t do,” Smith said. “A lot of people depend on METRO.”<\/p>\n We took a few minutes to learn how the new platform works and shared that with Smith. He feels METRO should be offering that kind of education for all riders.<\/p>\n METRO says they held a training for people to learn how to use the new OnDemand app on Monday. ABC13 is waiting to find out if they’ll have other trainings or create an informational video to teach people how to book their necessary rides.<\/p>\n The director of communications at METRO tells ABC13 they have over 5600 trips booked for Wednesday already, and their team is still booking.<\/p>\n “We have even extended our reservation booking to accommodate customers when they call our Dispatch line after 5 p.m. Customers are being served, but as we discussed, there are questions about the New OnDemand App that slows down the calls,” METRO Director of Communications Anna Carpenter said.<\/p>\n METRO says the transition to the OnDemand app should be done by Friday. In the meantime, they say users should keep these things in mind:<\/p>\n EZ-Wallet Accounts:<\/strong> These accounts will be automatically transitioned to the new OnDemand platform over the next week and a half. No action is required by the customer.<\/strong><\/p>\n Need an email address?<\/strong> A valid email address is required to use METRO’s New OnDemand app<\/strong>. If you have not provided one, please call 713-225-0119<\/strong> for assistance setting up your account.<\/p>\n METROLift customers can <\/strong>continue to book trips during normal business hours with a live Reservation staff member if they so choose at 713-225-6716.<\/strong> Questions?<\/strong> Customer service representatives are available at 713-225-0119<\/strong>.<\/p>\n For updates on this story, follow Daniela Hurtado on Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2025 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n