Bay News 9 first met Amanda Shevitski when she demonstrated being blind didn’t stop her from learning martial arts. But she says unreliable transportation kept her from getting to her lessons in Largo.

Shevitski uses the Demand Response Transportation (DART) program for rides. PSTA contracts with Yellow Cab to pick up and drop off disabled customers. Shevitski said in May that cab rides were hours late or didn’t even show.

Today, she’s seeing improvements.

"With Care Ride, they’re on time or a little bit early," she said. “I think what happened was the news segment ruffled a few feathers."

DART Mobility Manager Ross Silvers says DART is working with Yellow Cab on making improvements. Silvers says more operators and drivers have been hired.

"(We're) improving the number of drivers that are available to perform the DART trips, and that has increased by about 25 percent,” Ross said, “We’ve also focused on reducing the number of 'very late' trips."

Silvers says Yellow Cab was fined about $7,000 in July for trips more than an hour late.

"The number of very late trips is now less than half of what it was back when we talked the last time," Ross said.

Another change: Some riders, including Shevitski, were temporarily transferred to Care Ride, a different DART program.

"The changes are a tremendous improvement," Shevitski said.

While some riders say they have seen improvements, others say they have not.

Emerson Shannon has been a DART client for 16 years. He’s legally blind, hearing impaired and has a heart condition. Shannon says he recently had problems getting to a very important doctor’s appointment.

"I missed a cardiologist appointment on a follow-up because they never came to get me," Shannon said.

Shannon says he stopped calling DART for doctor’s appointments but wonders if or when his next ride to somewhere else will show.

"We'll wait and see,” he said. “Been told that before that it will never happen again, but it did happen again."

Silvers says Yellow Cab has shown improvement, but more is needed.

"At any time they should slide backwards, then we’re there watching them and giving them the warning and saying 'you need to improve or we’re taking action,' " Silvers said.