A member of Calgary's disabled community says many taxi drivers with accessible vehicles and licenses are not doing their jobs.
Jack Smart says many handicap accessible taxi drivers are thinking more about economics than about disabled customers. He says the drivers don't want the additional travel time and physical effort necessary to accommodate disabled clients.
Smart spoke to City Council's Transportation committee today as it decided to award 55 new accessible taxi licenses; 28 to taxi brokers, 27 to driver owners.
Smart would rather have seen brokers get them all, "Part of the issue is the independent driver is making a business choice whether to be on the road at certain periods of time, and whether or not to service those accessible taxi trips."
The 55 news licenses will be awarded next month, but the vehicles may not be operating in the accessible taxi system until November.
