New taxicab regulations don't do enough to erase 'double standard' for accessible cabs, customers say

Some Winnipeggers with mobility restrictions say new regulations for the city's taxicab industry won't solve the problems they have when trying to get a ride.

As of Feb. 28, cab companies whose fleets are less than 10 per cent accessible taxis will have to pay a seven-cent surcharge on every trip they provide.

"It really isn't much of an incentive in my mind. Seven cents, it's like, 'Where do I send the cheque?'" said David Kron, the executive director of the Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba.

Kron, who often books accessible taxis to serve members at the association's events, says trying to get an accessible cab in Winnipeg is exasperating.Scheduled cabs have failed to arrive and customers have been hung up on or are told they should have booked a day ahead of time, he said.

He said it's "just a matter of time" before the scarcityresults in a human rights complaint.

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New taxicab rules will come into effect on Feb. 28, when the City of Winnipeg assumes responsibility for the regulation of the vehicle-for-hire industry. Alongside new rules, the city has promised to issue 60 new licences to own taxis through a lottery on Feb. 23, but owners can choose whether or not to make them accessible.

"If you're going to add more licences on to it, why not make them all accessible?" Kron said.

"Anybody can still use a wheelchair-accessible cab, it just happens to be a person that happens to use a wheelchair for their legs can also use it."

Colin Stewart, a policy analyst with the Winnipeg Parking Authority, said in other jurisdictions, the "first step" to building up a fleet of accessible cabs is to prompt the industry to make the change voluntarily.

The surcharge is a "little nudge," he said, adding that though it doesn't seem like much, it will add up for dispatchers.

"But in Winnipeg, in an average year, the taxi industry carries out about two million rides. So there's a definite economic incentive for anyone doing that to maintain a level of accessibility," he said.

The city will take a second look before issuing an additional 60 taxicab owner's licencesin December, Stewart said. If the surcharge isn't making a difference, policymakers will consider further regulations.

'Double standard'

The new rules include a requirement for dispatch companies to send accessible vehicles to customers requiring that service, Stewart said. Those vehicles can still be used for other calls, but not if somebody with a mobility restriction needs them.

Samuel Unrau, who uses a wheelchair to get around, said he rarely takes Winnipeg taxis because it's so hard to get a hold of one. But he's had positive experiences in other Canadian cities.

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"I look at the airport as a good measuring tool. I come home to Winnipeg and every time it's a disappointment," he said.

He said taxi companies that seek to provide a vehicle to customers with 15 minutes of a call operate a "double standard" for customers who rely on accessible vehicles.

"It just baffles your mind, really," he said. "It's heartbreaking that, you know, in a day and age where ... we are becoming more conscious about accessibility and being inclusive, that, you know, we still have those exclusionary attitudes from various companies."