On Demand Services

On Demand operates throughout the rural areas of Durham Region, and at urban bus stops more than a 10-minute walk from an operating bus route. On Demand is not available at bus stops with a bus scheduled to arrive within 30 minutes. Trips offered through On Demand are designed to connect customers with scheduled buses for onward travel, where available.

Areas are highlighted on DRT’s system map where On Demand operates during some or all of the day. Overnight, On Demand is available at most bus stops in Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Courtice and Bowmanville where Blue Night Routes N1 and N2 are not operating.

DRT On Demand is a shared ride service. There are no guarantees that trips will be a direct ride. Customers may share the vehicle with others travelling in a similar direction, making stops along the way. This model ensures equitable service that is available to all who need it.

Customers should be ready during the pick-up window provided by the booking agent. Give yourself enough time to reach the stop where your pickup will take place. 

Note: for customers not using the DRT On Demand App: If five (5) minutes have passed since your scheduled pick-up time, you can contact customer service by phone for an update on your trip.

When booking your trip, the DRT On Demand app or booking agent will provide a pickup time. Based on other bookings, the pick-up times may shift slightly. Please keep this in mind when booking, and schedule your trip with flexibility.

Operators do not assist individuals with boarding or disembarking vehicles, except for customers registered with Specialized Transit.

Note: Individuals requiring an accessible vehicle are expected to note this when booking their trip.

Before you travel, you should review the information in our customer policies, which apply to all DRT services. 

Reminders 

• Trips are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. 
• All Specialized Transit pickups and drop offs take place at accessible entrances, and operators escort passengers between the vehicle and those entrances.
• On Demand customers in urban areas will be picked up and dropped off at bus stops
• On Demand customers in rural areas will be picked up and dropped off at their curb or at the end of a driveway.

Specialized Transit is now integrated within On Demand. The service provides flexible and personalized service for customers whose disabilities prevents them from using scheduled service for all or parts of their trip. Customers must apply to use Specialized Services. Applications are reviewed to confirm eligibility.

Registered customers must contact a booking agent for support planning and booking a trip. Specialized Services customers can use the On Demand app to monitor their in-progress and upcoming trips. 

Note: A new booking system has been implemented and login credentials used for the Specialized Services WebPass booking system (used prior to 2020) will not function. 

Specialized Services application

Request application by mail

Call Centre phone number: 311 (within Regional limits); 1-866-247-0055. 

Weekdays – 05:00-24:00

Saturday – 07:00-24:00

Sunday – 07:00-22:00

Passengers may travel with a companion if space is available on the bus; let the booking agent know when requesting the trip.

Booking agents require the following information from the customer when booking a trip:

• Date of trip.
• Location and time of pick-up and drop-off.
• Number of other people travelling, such as a support person or companion(s).
• Any mobility devices that will be brought onto the vehicle.

When booking a trip by phone, customers are expected to confirm with DRT staff and write down the details of the trip for reference. Documenting details of the trip will ensure customers have a record of their trip history to match what is maintained in DRT’s scheduling system. 

Subscription reservations are available to customers registered with Specialized Transit with regular and consistent travel needs including:

• at least one trip a week to the same address
• trip(s) are on the same day of the week
• weekly travel for three or more consecutive months

 Please review the No show and late cancellation policy for more information.

When booking a trip, the DRT booking agents will advise customers of their 20-minute pick-up window. 

Customers should be ready and waiting at the first accessible door at the start of the pick-up window that was provided by the booking agent. The vehicle operator will wait up to five minutes after arrival before departing to serve other scheduled customers.

After downloading and installing the mobile app, enter your phone number and you will receive a one-time-code to activate your account. 

If you do not have a phone to receive text messages

Customers using the web booking portal can log-in using an email address and password combination and access the same functionality as the mobile app.

Your account has been automatically created. To use the mobile app and web portal, up-to-date phone numbers and email addresses are required. If your phone number or email address are not already associated with your account, contact us to make sure your information is up to date.

You can continue calling to book over the phone. You may be asked to confirm some of your contact information the first time you call after the transition to the new system on September 3.

Have you been logged out?

Your account can only be active on a single device at a time.