The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is offering emergency transportation for riders with mobility devices following a significant cyberattack on its systems. As reported by CBS News Baltimore, the attack, which occurred earlier this week, has particularly affected MTA's Mobility paratransit service, hindering the agency's ability to schedule new trips or adjust existing ones.
Riders who depend on these services, especially those needing transportation to urgent medical appointments, can now call 'Hart to Heart' at 443-573-2037 for assistance. This measure has been taken to mitigate the impact on those who may otherwise be left stranded. While the main transit services, including Local Bus, Metro Subway, Light Rail, MARC, Mobility, Call-A-Ride, and Commuter Bus, continue to run, riders face the lack of real-time information and encounter service operations challenges, disruptions to customer call centers, and will not be notified about train arrivals or departures during the outage.
The MTA has yet to identify the perpetrators of the incident or to provide details regarding the nature of the attack, but the urgency to resolve the matter is clear. Despite the setback in some of its digital systems, previously scheduled paratransit rides will still be honored, and those without urgent medical needs are directed to use the MTA's Call-A-Ride service, which can be accessed online or by dialing 410-664-2030.
In a separate report by FOX Baltimore, the MTA officials acknowledged the difficulties for transit-dependent residents and stated, "We recognize the impact that the inability to schedule Mobility trips has on our paratransit riders." MTA officials added, "We are hard at work to restore full service as soon as possible." For critical situations beyond the provisions set by Hart to Heart, individuals facing medical emergencies continue to be advised to contact their healthcare providers or to call 911.
