Booking a Ride

To book a ride on GOVA Plus dial 705-670-2300 or email booking@govaplus.ca

When booking by email, a reply email will confirm whether your ride can be accommodated as requested.
Please be aware that changes to bookings or ride cancellations cannot be requested by email. Please call 705-670-2300.

To book a ride, please call 705-670-2300 any day of the week between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.  After 9 p.m., the phone line will be answered by a GOVA Plus Bus Operator who can only accept calls to cancel rides and a Call for Return from medical appointments.

You must book rides both to and from your destination. If you are booking a ride to a medical appointment, your return ride may be booked as a “Call for Return” with no scheduled time for pick up. Either you or the medical office receptionist must call 705-670-2300 to notify GOVA Plus that you are ready for your return ride.

Rides may be booked up to 30 days in advance.  To avoid disappointment, try to book your rides at least two days in advance. Bookings with less than two days notice are accepted subject to system availability.

You may book a maximum of three rides each time you call.  Please refer to “Standing Orders” for repeat, regular rides.

When booking your ride, please have the following information ready for our Dispatchers:

• your name and rider number (this number will be assigned to you upon your first booking)
• the date of your ride
• the purpose of your ride
• the address where you will be picked up
• the address of your destination
• the time you need to arrive at your destination, and
• the time you would like to be picked up from your destination 
• Are you travelling with a support person, guest/companion? (Please refer to Travelling with a Support Person or Guest/Companion.)
• Are you travelling with a service animal? (Please refer to Travelling with a Service Animal.)

Please note that Bus Operators are not permitted to make unscheduled stops. If you wish to stop at two or more destinations, then you must book two or more rides.

GOVA Plus Bus Operators cannot accept passengers who have not been booked for a ride, including GOVA Plus clients, guests and companions. 

What Can I Expect After I Book My Ride?

You will receive a call the day before your ride (Mondays to Fridays) to confirm your pick-up time.

For Saturday, Sunday or Monday rides, you will receive a call on Friday to confirm your pick-up time.

You will also receive a call on Friday to confirm your pick-up time if your Tuesday ride follows a statutory holiday Monday.

What is the On-Time Window?

GOVA Plus is a shared ride service. Pick-up and drop-off times may be adjusted on the day of service within a 25-minute On-Time Window, a service quality goal of GOVA Plus.

This 25-minute window starts 10 minutes before the scheduled pick-up time and extends to 15 minutes after the scheduled pick-up time. Your ride is considered to be on time within this 25 minutes.

Passengers must be ready 10 minutes before and be prepared to wait up to 15 minutes after their scheduled pick-up time.

Standing Orders

GOVA Plus may, subject to availability, allow you to place a Standing Order for rides that occur on a regular basis. This means rides do not need to be booked each time you travel to and from a regularly scheduled appointment or destination. Standing Orders are available if the rides occur:

• on the same day
• at the same time and
• to and from the same addresses each week.

Standing Orders must remain unchanged and must be used at least 75 per cent of the time within any given calendar month to remain in effect. Cancellation of more than 25 per cent of your Standing Order rides in a calendar month will result in:

First Notice: A phone call from a GOVA Plus Dispatcher to determine whether your travel needs have changed and to issue a reminder that Standing Orders must be used 75 per cent of the time or more each month.

Second Notice: A letter notifying that the Standing Order has been removed because rides have not been used 75 per cent of the time or more each calendar month and that future rides must be booked each time you travel.

Reactivation of a Standing Order: After 90 days of being served with a Second Notice, you may reapply for a Standing Order; subsequent misuse will result in permanent removal of this option.

Please note that Standing Orders are automatically cancelled on statutory holidays. If your Standing Order ride occurs on a holiday, you must book this ride in advance.