Shoddy Service from Via Rail

John Benjamin of Ottawa, an avid traveller, was stopped in his tracks by the shoddy customer service he received from Via Rail last October. Benjamin, who is blind, was travelling by train to Quebec City.

Benjamin had informed the reservation agent of his need for assistance when he booked his ticket. He received a ticket with �special service� coding to indicate that he was blind and would require help. Yet he encountered numerous problems. Via personnel ignored him, pointed out directions instead of giving them verbally, even showed him to the wrong seat. When he arrived at his destination, his attempts to get assistance with his baggage proved fruitless. This was despite showing staff the special coding on his ticket.

�I asked one [Via official] to accommodate me and she came around, handed me over to another person and said, �Oh, he�s just got a small disability, it�s no big thing,�� Benjamin told The Globe and Mail.

Benjamin filed a complaint with the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA). Its April ruling criticized Via�s treatment of Benjamin and ordered changes on Via�s ticket coding for passengers with disabilities, as well as more staff training.

In its own defense, Via Rail told the CTA that its employees were �confused� about Benjamin�s needs, suggesting that he did not make his disability known to the staff people he had approached. CTA rejected any notion that Via�s failure to provide service was Benjamin�s fault.