CARTA announced earlier this week that the mask requirement on their buses is discontinued; after a court ruling. However, Executive Director Lisa Maragnano ttold the CARTA board on Thursday that she strongly encourages people to continue to wear masks.
CARTA also announced the start of a new software program.
Lisa Suttles, the director of ADA & Mobility Management, said CARTA is working with Vanderbilt to customize a software called TripSpark that fits CARTA’s needs.
She said this software is especially valuable to the elderly. The software will allow users to book a trip, notifies you a week before and calls you the day of the ride. Ms. Suttles also said it will cut down on calls to dispatchers.
“Hopefully it will have a positive impact on dispatch,” said Ms. Suttles. “It gives people the option to cancel and if they don’t come out we will come to their door which makes it perfect for the elderly’s safety.”
A board member said she tested the software and it works like Uber. CARTA plans to put information into TripSpark next week so it can go live on May 1. These dates are subject to change.