On August 22, 2002, attorneys for Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities, Inc. (P&A) filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Columbia on behalf of four individuals and the Disability Action Center (DAC). The complaint alleges violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the South Carolina Bill of Rights for the Handicapped and the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act in the operation of the Dial-A-Ride Transit system (DART). SCE&G, Central Midlands Council of Governments, Laidlaw Transit, Inc., and the City of Columbia are currently responsible for operating DART. Central Midlands Regional Transportation Authority will assume responsibility for DART sometime later this fall.

DART is the paratransit in Columbia which is designed to provide transportation to people with disabilities who cannot access the regular bus system. For years, DART riders have complained about the services. Consumer complaints to the Office for Civil Rights led to an on site Federal Transit Authority (FTA) assessment of DART in 1999. The final FTA report finds that DART is being operated in violation of FTA regulations. Despite formal and informal attempts to fix the system, consumers continue to report problems with DART. Our clients concluded that a lawsuit was the only way to bring about much-needed change.