If all new taxis were accessible, in every community, eventually the word “taxi” would mean “accessible taxi.”
- Flexible and accessible taxi transportation would help people find and hold jobs.
- Accessible taxis could be used to link wheelchair users with mass transit systems.
- Accessible taxis would be more cost efficient than paratransit.
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Purpose-built vehicles would be the norm and conversion expenses for minivans to be used in taxi service would be eliminated. A secondary market would develop to purchase used accessible taxis so that even the most rural communities would be served by accessible taxis.
Why is this desirable?
First, spontaneous travel by riders who would otherwise use demand-response paratransit vehicles (Dial A Ride type services) would be possible. This would reduce demand for publicly operated paratransit, saving money and increasing trip capacity. More significantly, however, taxis could be used as the workhorse of the publicly operated system.
Taxi rides are cheaper than paratransit rides. New York City’s paratransit costs approach $65 a ride. (The rider only pays $2.25, the mass transit fare.) Taxi fares would be less than half that, even for an expensive trip. Paratransit-eligible riders could be given a swipe-type credit card for paratransit trips.
If privately owned taxis were integrated into ADA required paratransit systems, personnel expense could be reduced, insurance, vehicle acquisition, maintenance and repair costs would be the responsibility of the taxi owner.
Even more savings would be realized by state vocational rehabilitation agencies, Medicaid, the Department of Veterans Affairs and any other government entities that provide benefits-related travel. These agencies use privately owned ambulette services for passengers who use wheelchairs at $80 – 150 per trip in the New York region. In less populated locales taxis are dispatched on demand. Revenue for small operators would be enhanced even if there was no ADA paratransit system in the area, because a small community’s taxi owner would become the Medicaid, VA and vocational rehab carrier.
Perhaps the most significant change that would occur if taxis were accessible is that people who use paratransit because they do not have the stamina required to get to mass transit , would be chauffeured to bus and rail lines by local taxi services. ADA’s regulations encourage this practice, and it would turn paratransit users into mass transit passengers. This would reduce paratransit expenses and further emancipate people with disabilities, making them more employable and facilitating spontaneous travel.
For the past three decades, United Spinal has fought for access to mass transit. Providing privately operated accessible taxi service could result in more wheelchair and scooter users on public transit, while saving transit operators a fortune.
James Weisman
General Counsel
United Spinal Association
Transport is so important to full inclusion into the fabric of America.Everything in this culture revolves around it. In the U.K. which can be very inaccesable they had the old black rover taxi’s, they all looked alike and were rather ugly. However a percentage of them had wide doors with a manual slide out ramp. With the high roof line they were perfect. Theres not a reason in the world why Auto makers could not do it with cars or minivans. What a amazing impact this could have on the lifes of mobilty impaired people.
To be able to not have to research every city and town you visit regarding accessible transportation would be a dream come true. Keeping POSITIVES thoughts on it being a reality.
[...] Weisman points out in an October 2009 blog post on http://www.spinalcordadvocates.org titled If All New Taxis Were Accessible, riders who would otherwise use demand-response paratransit vehicles (i.e., Access-A-Ride) would be [...]