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Jodi Lundmark, tbnewswatch.com
PUSH Northwest says more accessible taxis are needed in Thunder Bay.
A group of local citizens says the city’s taxi services aren’t meeting the needs of people with disabilities.
Ron Ross, president of Persons United for Self-Help Northwest, said some people are waiting up to four hours for accessible taxis and sometimes are even told one won’t be available until the next day.
"There is not enough accessible transportation in the city to enable people to live an independent life," Ross said at the Thunder Bay Police Service board meeting Thursday. "We see people on the street with their wheelchairs all over the place and recently someone even got hit because he was on the street with his scooter. Those are signs."
On behalf of PUSH Northwest, Ross recommended the board approve 10 more licenses for accessible taxis, bringing the city’s total to 23. That would require changing the city’s bylaw to allow for more taxi licenses.
The city’s licensing and enforcement manager Ron Bourret said it’s time to review the taxi bylaw, but there are interested parties – taxi companies – that will be affected.
"Basically regulating taxi companies comes with how it’s going to impact them financially and is it going to put them out of business," he said.
However, Bourret did agree there is a need for accessible transportation in Thunder Bay.
"There’s an aging population going on; it’s increasing all the time," he said. "It can’t hurt."
In response to PUSH’s claims that people have waited hours for an accessible taxi, Bourret said there have been no official complaints made, but he said it could be because people don’t know there is a complaint process available.
"You don’t hear complaints about this until this type of forum," he said, adding hearing Ross’ deputation to the board made him realize the issue really needs to be examined.
The board passed two motions to address the issue. The first was for Ross to meet with Bourret so the city can learn more about the problems people with disabilities face in terms of transportation.
The second motion approved a feasibility study to examine taxi service in Thunder Bay on all levels, not just where accessible taxis are concerned.
Ross was pleased with the board’s response, noting anything that moves the issue forwards is good.
"We can’t wait a year-and-a-half; all that does is cause more hardship for people with disabilities and seniors and so forth," he said. "So if we can move quicker on this and get some immediate response and I think the chair indicated in their motion they wanted to do that – if that’s what’s going to move it forward, that’s the way it goes."