ATLANTA — Several MARTA Mobility drivers say they are considering going on strike during the FIFA World Cup if contract negotiations with their employer do not move forward, raising concerns about service for riders who rely on the paratransit system.
The drivers, who spoke exclusively to Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers on the condition of anonymity because they fear retaliation, said they are underpaid, overworked and facing increasingly difficult working conditions as staffing levels continue to decline.
Turnover is high, drivers say
“We are underpaid, overworked,” one driver said.
The drivers work for A-National, a subcontractor under Transdev, which contracts with MARTA to provide Mobility service for riders with disabilities.
According to the drivers, turnover has accelerated in recent months, leaving fewer operators to handle the same number of trips, which is impacting customers.
“Mobility turnover is high, and this is why these people are being left behind,” one driver said.
Drivers said the workforce has dropped significantly since April.
“We went from having 125 drivers to now we have about 75 drivers,” one driver said.
As a result, they said the remaining drivers are being assigned additional routes, leading to lengthy rides and delays for passengers.
“They’re putting trips, on top of trips, on top of trips. Sometimes we have people who’ve been on the bus for three or four hours,” one driver said.
Some riders are experiencing lengthy delays
The staffing concerns echo complaints from riders. Last month, Rogers reported on a MARTA Mobility customer who waited seven hours for a pickup.
Following that report, several viewers contacted Rogers saying they had experienced similar delays.
Tamara Hale, who is visually impaired and relies on MARTA Mobility daily, said late arrivals have become common.
“I am always usually late, or sometimes you don’t get to where you need to go,” Hale said.
Channel 2 Action News encountered Hale arriving at her SHOWAbility chorus practice in an Uber because her MARTA Mobility bus was running late.
SHOWAbility founder Myrna Clayton said transportation delays have repeatedly affected members of the organization.
“We’ve had situations where drivers have dropped persons off, and again, nobody was here, or we had to wait, like we’re here waiting for an hour or two for MARTA to come and pick them up,” Clayton said.
Drivers said they formed a union about a year ago and have been attempting to negotiate their first contract. They claim the owner of A-National has repeatedly appealed decisions during the process, delaying negotiations.
“He keeps asking for appeals, so this is his 5th appeal,” one driver said. “He’s just dragging it.”
Rogers attempted to contact A-National using the phone number listed on the company’s website, but the number was out of service.
MARTA responds
Rogers also contacted MARTA. In a statement, MARTA said:
MARTA works with ATU Local 732 to ensure our frontline team members are supported, as operating a bus, train, or paratransit vehicle is a skilled and demanding profession.
Currently, Transdev leadership has not advised us of concerns regarding pay or union regulations being upheld for Mobility operators.
— MARTA
Drivers also said they were expecting a pay raise last October that never materialized.
“We were supposed to have gotten a raise back in October, and the day before our raise was supposed to take effect, it was taken away,” one driver said.
They said the possibility of a strike is intended to bring company leadership back to the negotiating table.
“Once we get a contract, we’re able to negotiate what we want. We want better pay. We want better benefits. We want a 401k,” one driver said.
MARTA also apologized to Mobility riders, and said it has begun implementing new technology intended to improve service.
In a statement, the agency said:
We sincerely apologize to our MARTA Mobility customers who have experienced recent service delays. We understand these disruptions can be deeply frustrating, and our Mobility team is working to address these challenges as we transition to a more reliable system.
This month, we have begun a phased rollout of a new RideCo platform designed to improve routing efficiency and on-time performance. While the transition will continue through June 20, we are already seeing positive improvements in trip reliability.
We appreciate the patience of our Mobility customers during this transition period as we move toward a more modern and dependable service that better serves our community. We encourage those with questions or concerns about MARTA Mobility to please contact MARTA Customer Service at 404-848-5000.
— MARTA
However, drivers said the new system isn’t improving much.
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