As they've advertised, the Karsan design for the city's "Taxi of Tomorrow" competition is the only design that is wheelchair accessible. And if a new bill from the State Assembly gets passed, it could end up being the only car in the running. The new bill, drafted by Assemblyman Micah Kellner (D-Manhattan), would require all cabs on the streets after October 1st, 2014 to be wheelchair accessible. Kellner said, "Everyone accuses the state Legislature of being dysfunctional, but what is truly dysfunctional is the fact that the mayor and the City Council have had 11 years to make New York City's taxi fleet 100% accessible, and they have done next to nothing."
The TLC is paying about $172 per ride for a pilot program in which handicapped passengers could call for a cab, and is reportedly looking to outsource control of the wheelchair accessible fleet. But Kellner previously said, "Yellow cabs and for-hire vehicles are apples and oranges. Commingling them in a single dispatch system won't work and it won't make anyone happy, not the taxi industry, not the for-hire industry, and, most importantly, not people with disabilities."
The Assembly's cities committee is scheduled to vote on the bill today, and if it's passed it would move on to the full Assembly. Remember, guys, the people have spoken!
