Say Goodbye to Paper Tickets

ClasTran has stopped issuing new paper tickets to riders, and drivers will no longer accept them after December 31, 2021. Riders may continue to use paper tickets until that date, or they can return their tickets to ClasTran in exchange for fare credits.

Introducing a New Way to Pay

Fare credits are the new, better way to pay. You can load funds on your account, and the one-way fare will be deducted automatically each time you board the bus. Now you don't have to keep up with cash, checks, or tickets to use our service. You literally have nothing to lose.

You have several options to load funds on your account. Call ClasTran at 205-325-8787 and press option 3 to pay using a credit or debit card. (Please note that a 3.5% convenience fee is applied to all credit/debit card transactions.) Mail a check or money order to our PO Box address. Or, visit our office location in 5 Points South to pay with cash, check, money order, or credit/debit card.

To use funds on your account, you only need to board the bus for your scheduled ride. The driver will apply the one-way fare to your balance for you. Upon request the driver can inform you of your current balance, and you may also call ClasTran for credit balance inquiries. We can also provide, upon request, a comprehensive report to show your trip and transaction history.

Of course, riders will still have the option of paying one-way fares directly to the driver each time they board the bus using cash (in exact change), check, or money order. Fare credits are just one more option that we're glad to offer to our riders for added convenience.

If you have any questions about using fare credits or the discontinuation of paper tickets, please contact our administrative office by phone at 205-325-8787 or email at info@clastran.com.

9 Tips for Scheduling a Ride

Wherever you need to travel, here are some tips to help you when scheduling a ride with ClasTran:

1. Schedule your trips one or two weeks in advance.

Availability is limited, so the further in advance you can book your ride—up to 14 days in advance—the better your chance of booking trips for the specific times you want. You may book trips for the next day if you call before 11:00 a.m.; however, you may need to schedule your trips at a different time or on a different day if we are already booked.

2. Know the details for your trip before you call.

When you call, you should have the following information ready:

• first and last name of rider

• date of trip

• address and phone number of pick-up location

• address and phone number of drop-off location

• requested arrival/appointment time

• requested return time, if scheduling a return trip

• notify if you will be using a wheelchair or if you have trouble with steps

• notify if you will be traveling with any other passengers or a service animal

3. Confirm the details with the customer service representative.

Make sure to confirm all of the details for your trip such as the pick-up and drop-off address, the date of the trip, the requested pick-up or drop-off time, any mobility devices used, and any additional passengers that will accompany you.

4. Know your 30-minute pick-up window and be ready.

At the time you schedule your trips, the customer service representative will advise you of your 30-minute pick-up window for any trips that you schedule. It is your responsibility to be accessible and ready to board the vehicle at any time the driver may arrive within your 30-minute pick-up window. If the driver arrives and cannot locate you, or if you are not ready to board the vehicle, the driver will wait only five minutes before marking you as a no-show and moving on to his/her next stop. Excessive no-shows may result in a suspension of service.

5. Pay your fare in advance.

You can purchase fare credits in advance to cover your fare on the day of your trip. When you schedule your trips, you can request to add any amount to your account balance using a credit/debit card, and the driver will deduct your fare amount from your account when you board the vehicle. This saves you time on the day of service and saves you the hassle of having to remember to carry exact change.

6. Schedule your trips any time.

It's always best to call us during office hours, but you can still give us a call after office hours to schedule your trips. Leave a voicemail message with your first and last name, phone number, and trip details, and a customer service representative will call you back to confirm your request during regular office hours.

7. Check on availability.

When you first call to schedule your trips, if you are not able to book the time or day you requested, check back with us at a later time. Sometimes cancellations before the day of service or other variables may allow us to accommodate trips that we could not accommodate previously.

8. Be flexible.

Try to be flexible when scheduling your trips. We may not always be able to pick you up at the exact time you request, but we may be able to pick you up a little earlier or a little later. The more flexible you can be when scheduling your trips, the more likely it is that we'll be able to accommodate your request.

9. Remember to bring a mask.

Everyone age 2 and up must continue to wear a mask while using public transit. Stay safe!

One Year In

Today marks one year since Shari Spencer was officially named Executive Director of ClasTran. In that time she has presided over the move of our administrative office to the Ash Place building in Five Points South and the many challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

Shari acted quickly at the start of the pandemic to ensure that our riders were kept safe by requiring that masks be worn by all riders and drivers during transit and reducing vehicle capacity so that riders were able to maintain social distancing while onboard. Drivers were also required to sanitize and wipe down all surfaces after transporting each passenger. ClasTran performed critical trips to/from COVID testing and vaccination sites by utilizing separate vehicles and transporting only one client at a time so that the general public were not exposed to the coronavirus. And finally, ClasTran was able to utilize its new scheduling and dispatching software, Ecolane DRT, to provide contact tracing and notify any riders who may have been onboard with someone who had recently tested positive for COVID-19.

By January 1, 2021, ClasTran's administrative office had moved to its new location at the Ash Place building in Five Points South. Shari said that the move was necessary for several reasons, not least of which was to maintain a more centralized office location for our clients. Prior to the move, ClasTran's administrative office had been located in Homewood off of Valley Avenue, and two years prior to that, ClasTran had been located for more than a decade in the 2121 building across the street from the Jefferson County Courthouse. ClasTran's move from its longtime home in the 2121 building was necessitated by major renovations being done to the building at the time.

Shari has led ClasTran through many challenges during the course of her first year at its helm, and there are still many obstacles on the horizon. ClasTran's federal funding has been cut each year for the past three years, and there do not seem to be any other funding sources available that could make up for the lost revenue. At the same time, the nation's economy is trying to recover from the pandemic and businesses, including ClasTran, are facing an unprecedented labor shortage as they try to rehire to meet demand. Still, ClasTran's Board of Directors, management team, and staff remain fully confident in Shari's abilities to steer our ship through this storm.