Item - 2024.DI6.5

The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee:

1.  Invited Spinal Cord Injury Ontario to do a presentation on the topic of Accessible Taxis and Vehicle for Hire Services at Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee’s meeting on June 24, 2024.

On March 27th, we received an information request to provide a presentation by Spinal Cord Injury Ontario (SCIO) on the topic of Accessible Taxis and Vehicle for Hire Services.

Upon research conducted by the SCIO community, we have learned that finding a wheelchair accessible Taxi or Vehicle for Hire Service has become increasingly difficult in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) since the pandemic. People with disabilities are waiting record times to get access to transportation that their fellow residents without disabilities can access in under ten minutes.

It is for this reason that we believe Spinal Cord Injury Ontario should have the opportunity to speak at the upcoming Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee. They are a provincial organization that specialize in serving people with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities. As such, they regularly hear the lived experience perspective from across Ontario and are best equipped to bring the needs of the disability community to City Councilors.

Stories from SCIO’s community have led to recent media stories, where accessible Taxi and Vehicle for Hire Service end users were interviewed on television, highlighting the barriers that are in place.

Moreover, people with disabilities have started a change.org petition, bringing attention to this matter that is impacting thousands of lives on a daily basis, leaving them stranded or incurring fees simply for taking accessible vehicles.

After consulting with the disability community, there are three recommendations being made to City Council:

1.  Every Taxi and Vehicle for Hire must provide equitable on-demand transportation service to people with disabilities.

2.  The City of Toronto immediately regulate an equitable industry standard for on-demand Taxi and Vehicle for Hire service for people with disabilities. Industry standard on-demand service is approximately ten minutes from ride request to pick-up.

3.  The City of Toronto must ensure that people with disabilities are not incurring additional fees to access Taxi and Vehicle for Hire services that are above and beyond standard fares.

We strongly support SCIO’s attendance at the upcoming Accessibility Committee Meeting as their input and insights will greatly impact the future of Toronto and whether it is inclusive to the disability community.