'An accessible taxi would save my life.' New NYC taxis must be wheelchair-accessible

Last month, a judge ruled all new yellow cab taxis entering the fleet must be wheelchair accessible until the city meets the agreements of a 2014 settlement.

Heather Fordham

Sep 18, 2024, 2:25 AM

Updated 18 days ago

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Getting around the Big Apple is not as simple as hopping on the subway for Eman Rimawi-Doster.
Rimawi-Doster is a double amputee who lost both her legs due to medical complications 11 years ago.
"We don't live near an accessible station so it's either I climb up 25 steps, or I take Access-a-Ride, and I'm not climbing up 25 steps with no legs and one knee," said Rimawi-Doster.
Rimawi-Doster relies solely on on-demand Access-a-Ride, a paratransit service that's run by the MTA. While the service is useful, she says it caps her at 40 rides per month.
"An accessible taxi would save my life, literally, especially if I have to go to the outer boroughs," said Rimawi-Doster.
Last month, a judge ruled all new yellow cab taxis entering the fleet must be wheelchair accessible until the city meets the agreements of a 2014 settlement. The decade-old settlement required at least 50% of the city's yellow cab taxis to be equipped for people in wheelchairs by 2020. Extensions were granted through 2023, the deadline passed but the Taxi Limousine Commission still fell short of the quota.
Right now, TLC says 3,752 or 42% of their active taxis are wheelchair accessible compared to just 2% of their active taxis at the time of the settlement. TLC says 5,806 for-hire vehicles are also wheelchair accessible and that 90% of those vehicles had a wait time of 10 minutes or less for trips.
“Our commitment to accessibility is unwavering and we have moved swiftly to propose rules reflecting Judge Daniels's decision. Working to ensure that people with disabilities have exactly the same access to transportation as everyone else has always been one of our top priorities, and this only reinforces that commitment," said David Do, commissioner of the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
To meet the court order, TLC has proposed a new rule that would require all yellow cabs that are hacked up, or prepared to be a yellow cab, to be made wheelchair accessible. The TLC will hold a public comment meeting on that new rule on Oct.10.
"Recognize that anyone could become disabled at any time and also recognize that, like, no one's getting any any handouts. We just want support from the community," said Rimawi-Doster.