November 17, 2007
Wheels for Wheels
It's good to see that not all New Yorkers are out to run wheelchair riders off the road. The Taxi and Limousine Commission voted this week to create a new special service that will allow wheelchair users to order cabs by calling 311.
While some advocacy groups oppose the new program, arguing instead that all taxis should be handicap accessible (like they are in cities like London), others are lauding the move. The service will begin in January and will greet passengers waiting curbside with drivers trained to help load them into the vehicles.
Considering only 80 of the current 13,000 taxis on the road are fit to accommodate wheelchairs (with 150 more on the way), its tough to see how the initiative will make much of a palpable impact. But we're in favor of anything that makes it easier to catch a cab on a cold day.
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I am pleased and wish to laud the actions of, "Taxis For All", campaign. It is obvious, especially for those whose needs are less than poorly served by the citys 13,000 taxis, that cab access for the disabled is both a moral imperative and a likely financial opportunity. The very fact that there is lousy access both in cabs and mtero trains is the very reason you see so few disabled utilizing cabs and subways. If it were common knowlege that one with disabilies requiring of a wheelchair could easily move about the city with no more delay than is usual for the non-disabled, then we would see a surge in ridership by the disabled. That means money. For those of you who sneer at the idea that it is money and only the prospect of making money which serves as the principle motivation for increasing this access, grow up. That is the way it is. Do not think yourselves above us because your motivation is from your heart to serve the folks that need this. It requires capitol. Just wanting something for the right reason doesn't make it happen. (The road to hell...?) It takes both money and political will, the later of which is often in short supply. Why? Because the percentage of disabled voters per capita is statistically insignificant. This is why the non-disabled need to advocate for the disabled. That takes moral will, often in short supply, as well. I for one stand, or shall I say, couch guilty.
However commendable the "Taxi's for All" campaign is, I do not think it necessary or fiscally prudent to require all 13,000 taxis serving the 5 boroughs to meet the needs of the disabled in wheelchairs. London does not serve the example for NY primarily because their tax base is way different than ours. You are comparing Apples (pardon the pun, wait for it...) and limes-limey? And I apologize because the plight of the disabled commute is no joke. Commuting even for the perambulatory is frequently less than accommodating in NY, but hardly anything valid to complain about considering our mobility status.
I believe that if the city would fund the research to determine the number and whereabouts of those disabled that would like to see greater access to taxis and set these accessible cabs in neighborhoods in sufficient quantities day and night to make wait times no longer than for the non-disabled, we could determine cost to need ratios and begin the process of best utilization practices.