NYC launches accessible taxi dispatching service

The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) launched a new program providing wheelchair-accessible taxi dispatching services to New York City residents.

Metro Taxi, a company located in West Haven, Conn., will dispatch 233 NYC accessible taxicabs to locations within Manhattan. Accessible Dispatch is a centralized service providing on-demand transportation 24/7, 365 days a year with no advance reservations necessary.

Key points of the service include:

• Wheelchair-accessible taxis will respond to trips originating in Manhattan and ending anywhere in the five boroughs, Westchester and Nassau counties and the three regional airports.

• Passengers pay the normal metered taxi fare in New York City from the point of pick-up to destination. There are no extra costs to passengers.

• Accessible vehicles in the NYC fleet include rear and side entry minivans.

• When offered a trip, the taxi driver must accept it within two minutes and proceed directly to the pick-up location.

• Accessible Dispatch will pay drivers directly for the “deadhead,” or travel time, portion of their trips en route to scheduled pick-ups. These costs are funded through a fee paid by all New York City taxi medallion owners.

• All drivers who operate a wheelchair-accessible taxicab have been or will be trained in wheelchair assistance, boarding and de-boarding protocols, disability awareness and passenger sensitivity.