HandyDART trips available until 2 a.m. starting January 11

NEW WESTMINSTER, BC –The first initiatives from TransLink’s HandyDART Customer-First Plan begin to roll out this month, with later service hours launching on January 11 and a new software company selected to deliver online booking and real-time trip tools.

Starting next week, HandyDART hours will extend to 2 a.m. improving service availability for customers and aligning more closely with SkyTrain operating hours. This gives customers more flexibility and better access to late-night transportation for work shifts, social outings, community events, concerts, sports games, and more.

TransLink is also moving forward on new software to make HandyDART more convenient and easier to use. TransLink has partnered with Spare, a Vancouver-based tech company, to deliver software upgrades that will significantly improve the overall customer experience.

The new software will:

• Allow HandyDART users or caregivers to book and cancel trips online through a smartphone app and/or website 24 hours per day
  • The current HandyDART phone line will remain as a booking option
• Show customers real-time vehicle locations
• Improve customer communications, including trip notifications and alerts as vehicles are nearing their pick-up location
• Enable simpler customer feedback
• Implement simpler HandyDART applications and registration

The software is in development and is expected to launch in 2027.

“Extending HandyDART hours and advancing a new online booking tool are huge steps forward in our Customer-First Plan, which delivers what customers told us they want,” says TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn. “These improvements will make HandyDART easier to use and give customers more flexibility in their day.”

What customers should know about HandyDART’s extended hours:

• Starting on January 11, HandyDART trips will be available from 6 a.m. until 2 a.m.
• Customers can start booking late-night trips starting on Sunday, January 4.
• HandyDART dispatch service hours will also be extended and available to answer customer questions until 2 a.m.
  • Customers can call 604.575.6600 and select option 1 to book an advance trip, or option 3 to speak with a dispatcher.
  • The window to book trips in advance will remain the same (8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a 4 p.m. deadline for next-day service).

“Extending HandyDART hours gives me the same late-night flexibility as everyone else in Metro Vancouver,” says HandyDART Customer, Brian Gibney. “This change will help me go to more late-night events like concerts, festivals, or sporting events without having to race home afterward. I also welcome the step towards online booking – a much-needed improvement so that I can book trips online and see where my vehicle is in real time.”

TransLink remains committed to enhancing customer experiences through the HandyDART Customer-First Plan. Recent improvements to service include implementing Compass on HandyDART vehicles, simplifying fare payments through age-based discounts for youth and seniors, and modernizing the cancellation policy to improve vehicle availability.

HandyDART continues to be one of TransLink’s top-rated services by customers:

• In 2025, customers rated HandyDART 8.7 out of 10, which is higher than conventional bus and SkyTrain services, and the same rating as SeaBus.
• 99.6 per cent of requested trips were delivered in 2024.
• 91 per cent of trips arrived on time in 2024.

Media downloads:
Media can download sample photos of the HandyDART software here

More information:  
HandyDART Webpage
HandyDART Service Performance Review 2024

Media contact:  
TransLink Media Relations   
E: media@translink.ca