Thank you for your e-mail and informing us of the disparity in rules for wheelchair accessible transit. Here is a situation you may wish to consider posting on your blog: Recently, my wife and I returned from vacation and arrived in Toronto Airport looking for a wheelchair accessible van to transport us home. None were available and I called an outside company and they charged them a $10.00 airport fee which we in turn paid to the driver (apparently they have to be approved and/or registered by the GTAA?). Why are persons with disabilities penalized for calling in an outside company for assistance when there were none available by the airport's sanctioned company? (This was the same company that transported us to the airport and we did not have to pay an airport fee when we were dropped off at the departures area.) It would be interesting to hear the position on this from the GTAA and the City of Toronto. If I can assist in any way from a user perspective, let me know and I would more than happy to attend a meeting to express our views to the municipal and provincial government bodies responsible for the licensing of these essential services. Thank you and best of luck with your lobbying. Cheers, Mr. Ihor Andrew Salij

Not exactly a hearwarming story; illegally overcharging the disabled for a basic service. Now that this unpleasant truth is out in the open, let's hope that these guys are smart enough to correct this injustice voluntarily.

These guys have some gaul. They refused to lower their rates when the GST was reduced. After the first one percent, they refused claiming high gas prices in mid 06. Then gas prices steadied off for most of 07, and still they stuck by their excuse.

Put an end to it: 1) seize the taxi and sell it at auction 2) lift the driver's taxi license forever. Threaten the above, run a sting or two and the abuse will very quickly stop.

Calls go through a dispatcher first and then the taxi driver agrees to pick up the fare. Blame should be shared - to the driver AND to the dispatcher.

Perhaps one solution is to offer a small set additional fee... say $5... as compensation for running accessible cabs. I am wheelchaired... and usually make up for the added time and care I require from drivers with a larger tip. This does not justify the current situation. Cab fares are set by regulation... and these drivers, and their cab companies, are knowingly violating these regulations. They should be pressing for legal compensation for their additional costs in running these advanced services... either as an extra legal fee, or in the form of a subsidy.

And Taxi drivers wonder why we have no respect for them.

I use a mobility scooter to get around. I had the privilage of going to Vegas a couple years ago and enjoyed using their handi cap taxis that charged like a regular cab. I was shocked when I figured I would use a taxi for something when I was back home and company after company told me it was a flat $32. fee no matter what the distance. It was like policy. Needless to say I don't use cabs now. It wasn't until I read this story did I realize it was illegal to be charged like this. To me the companies are doing bad business. They would have more money comming in if they charged normally and more people used their business instead of charging so much no one can afford to use them. I know if they charged normally I would be one of the new customers they would gain.

If the drivers have a beef with the money they make or the cost of gas, then they should take it up with their employers who are taking too large a chunk of the pie. The end user shouldn't be the one paying more.

I think these taxi companys that are charging these outrageous fees should be fined. If these cabs cost more to operate etc. they should be taking it up with the licensing commission not defrauding those with special needs. It's disgusting.

At least the cab comes when you call. Try getting one if you mention a guide dog. There\'s a lot of cultural/religious \"stuff\" around those with disabilities (if you have a disability you are therefore a begger or worse) and dogs (\"Your dog is unclean and I will not allow it in my taxi\") among cabbies. Immigrant taxi drivers are welcome to ply their trade, but their old-country attitudes have got to GO.

Oh no! Everyone be afraid of a free-market society! That is, of course, unless it benefits you. I\'m sure that none of the people that responded work for companies that charge whatever they can for their products and services. Oh no! It\'s obvious that the free market has come up with the $30 figure, due in part of the lack of wheelchair accessible cabs (since they cost more to own/operate). Why not legalize a minimum fee that wheelchair accessible cabs can charge, but something lower than $30? Say a $20 minimum charge? An average cab fare is around $20 anyway. What will happen? Most likely there will be an INCREASE in the amount of wheelchair accessible cabs since they can legally charge more, thereby increasing SERVICE and adding competition. Works out for everyone - the disabled get more cabs and pay less and the taxi companies don\'t have to break the law to make a living.

Here in BC the transportation minister recently laid the law down to the taxi companys after a news outlet revealed drivers would refuse fares to the suburbs from downtown vancouver. Fare discrimination should equal harsh fines, end of story.

Perhaps a better approach would be to require all taxis to be accessible to wheelchairs and scooters. The City (or the Province) could provide subsidies to convert standard mini-vans and this could be the new cab standard for Toronto. It is not \"two or three times more expensive\" to operate a minivan compared to a standard cab which is usually a full size car. Cabs are usually retired police cars, which are not gas sippers. The City could rejig the rules regarding cab age and useage period to help make the capital cost of \"new\" minivans closer to the capital cost of used police cars. (there are some deals on minivans already if you pick the right ones and if they were generally used for taxis fleet pricing may be possible.) Finally, cabs are probably underpriced at the current time and a general fare increase is probably in order to help cab drivers make a living.

I am disabled myself. I have lived in Toronto my entire life and can still recall when WHEEL TRANS was the ONLY option. Initially you had to book a week in advance. We considered it a gift when this was shortened to four days notice. Still, being in high school at the time it was hard to expect my able bodied friends to plan for Saturday on a Tuesday. The thing about life then AND now is Spontanaity This was a luxury I did not enjoy just by virtue of the realities of my life. When these Wheelchair cabs started popping up I really thought my liberation had arrived. I had visions of last minute plans, late nights, and no worries. These illusions didn\'t last long. I was soon made aware of the flate rate system.Originally there were a few that just ran a meter but not many. Also, the hours these cabs kept (and still keep) were ridiculous. I remember asking in advance for a pick up from a night club at around 2 a.m. I was quicly informed that this cab was off the road by 9p.m. at the latest. This is still very much the case....even if you pay the flate rate. When I discussed the topic with a driver I very much liked, I was surprided by his response. I had thought he was fairly progressive, open minded guy. Sadly though, he spewed forth the standard \"cabbie line of reasoning.\" He bemoaned lack of demand, down time between calls, higher costs ect ect. For quite a long time I begrudgingly accepted this logic if only in terms of the economics. In light of this I wasn\'t surprised when most of these cabs signed on to run under contract to the TTC and Wheel Trans. I truly thought maybe there just wasn\'t enough demand to make it viable on a \"run by run\" basis. My eyes were reopened when I began to travel. In Vancouver, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas I was able to continually and randomly flag down cabs. No surcharges, no beefed up rate, just a cab. I was in heaven! This cabs accomadate anyone. They are not seen as \"designated purpose vehicles\" and so, able bodied pedestrians flag them down when not occupied. This takes care of the demand issue and makes it as financially viable as any cab. Yes things have come a long way in toronto. we know have more optons han ever before. So why is Toronto, the supposed \"world class city\" so behind on this one issue? The day I can hail a cab in this city at 2a.m. is the day I\'ll feel a touch closer to full intergation.

I live in Kingston & the tranportation is basically non existant. We have not had accessible cabs in years, The \"access\" busses have to be booked in advance, 2 weeks max but that does not guarantee a buss, never mind a return one. One never knows just how long a doctors appointment might last. One time there were two of us leaving the hospital at the same time but they sent two acess busses, we were both going in the same general area so suggested we share the buss as I did not care if I got home 1st or 2nd but they insisted in taking us separatly! The access busses take on blind people & others who can use a regular cab or buss taking away from chair users. the people do this here because the access busses are a fixed rate & a taxi can cost more. Recently a individual had pushed the normal buss service to put use 2 runs that will basically get you from downtown to the box stores along the main corridor. However larger tilt/recline power chairs are a challenge to get in to the position.