Release and rebroadcast

What happens when a provider hands a ride back, or when no bid is picked by the deadline.

A ride can go back out to providers in two ways. A provider can release a ride it won, or the pick deadline can pass with no bid picked. Either way the ride returns to the board and the facility is told.

Who is involved

• A Dispatcher at the winning provider releases the ride.
• A Scheduler or Facility Admin at the facility is told and picks again.
• Dispatchers at other providers bid on the ride again.

Steps

When a provider releases

1. Dispatcher, My rides. Choose Release on the ride. Pick a reason: Crew unavailable, Vehicle breakdown, Outside service area, Schedule conflict, or Other (which asks you to say what happened). The dialog shows Keep the ride first, because a release costs the facility a rebroadcast.
2. The ride returns to Available, and its crew assignment is cleared. On a round trip, only the released ride goes back. See Round trips.
3. Scheduler, Dashboard. The ride is back on the dashboard needing a pick, and the facility is told it needs rebroadcasting. Open its bids and pick again.
4. Dispatchers, Available rides. Other providers can bid. Because a released ride has no live pick, it is offered to every standing without the usual delays.

When the pick deadline passes

1. The deadline is 2 hours before pickup for a scheduled ride, unless the facility set its own on Facility rules. For a rush (ASAP) ride it is 30 minutes after posting.
2. At the deadline, every live bid lapses. A ride with no pick becomes Unassigned and is offered to every standing at once.
3. The facility gets one warning. For a ride posted with less time than the deadline allows, the warning comes only if the ride is still unpicked 30 minutes after posting.
4. Providers can bid again. A bid placed after the deadline stays valid until it is picked, withdrawn or the pickup time passes.

What each side sees

• The facility sees Unassigned on the dashboard and the live bid count while a ride is unassigned.
• The provider sees the ride leave My rides after a release.
• A release counts against the provider's reliability, which feeds its HealthyScore and standing. The exception is a release after a continuous wait of 30 minutes or more at the pickup, which is recorded against the facility instead. The app works this out from the crew's punches, so nobody chooses it.
• Release is available while the ride is Scheduled, before the crew arrive.

Common questions

Can the provider release a ride it already started?

No. Release is offered only before the crew arrive at the pickup.

Does a release cancel the ride?

No. A release hands the ride back, and the ride stays open for bids. Only the facility cancels a ride.

Who sees the release reason?

The release dialog says the facility sees the reason you give. Pick the closest reason, and use Other to explain anything unusual. The ride's detail page holds its event journal.