Regional councillor’s wait for accessible taxi leads to investigation

The City of Mississauga has launched an investigation after a Waterloo regional councillor waited hours for an accessible taxi.

Chantal Huinink was in the GTA between April 13 and 15, attending a pair of conferences. The trouble arose when she tried to book an afternoon accessible taxi ride.

After being told by a previous driver, the taxi company would schedule a pick-up, she was told over the phone to call back an hour before she needed the drive.

Having spent her whole life in a wheelchair and being a regular user of transit, Huinink was concerned there wouldn’t be a taxi available when she needed it.

It turns out she was right. It was three hours before a vehicle finally showed up.

“If the policy is that you can only book an hour in advance, then there needs to be rides available an hour in advance. And if there’s not, you need to be able to book earlier than that,” Huinink told The Mike Farwell Show.

Being proactive while waiting for the ride, Huinink called around to other taxi companies to see if they had accessible taxies available. She said she was surprised by what she heard from some of those companies.

“One alluded to a $20 surcharge because I needed an accessible vehicle, and another one mentioned it exclusively. And when I gave notice that was against the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, they hung up on me.”

Investigation underway

Huinink reached out to the City of Mississauga to inform them of her experiences.

In a lengthy written statement to 570 NewsRadio the city said:

“The City of Mississauga is aware of the concerns raised by Councillor Huinink and takes this matter seriously. Staff have launched an investigation into the circumstances of this incident to determine what occurred. If a contravention of the City’s by-laws is identified, appropriate enforcement action will be taken.

 Taxi companies are not permitted to impose a surcharge specifically for providing an accessible vehicle. Under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the City of Mississauga’s applicable by-laws, fares for accessible service must be consistent with standard taxi rates.

 No recent changes have been made to City by-laws that would affect the availability or provision of accessible taxi services. While municipalities regulate and license taxi services, vehicle availability can vary depending on demand and supply. Currently, the City of Mississauga does not require all taxi companies to operate accessible vehicles. The Public Vehicle Licensing By-law includes a requirement that, if brokerages are contacted for service and are unable to fulfill the request, they are expected to refer the call to another company that may be able to assist. However, availability of accessible vehicles across providers may be limited at certain times.

 The city recognizes the importance of reliable and equitable access to transportation. As a result of this experience, staff will review the current practice and examine whether additional measures may be appropriate to support improved access to accessible taxi services. As part of the review, staff will conduct jurisdictional scans to look at how other municipalities handle these types of circumstances, keeping in mind the rapid pace of change in the taxi and ride-sharing spaces in recent years.

 Residents and visitors who experience issues with taxi service in Mississauga are encouraged to call 311 so that concerns can be reviewed and investigated, including potential by-law violations.”

A quality of life matter

Huinink went on to say that barriers to accessible transportation do more than just impact a person’s ability to get from here to there.

“If someone doesn’t have reliable transportation services, whether they’re public transit or taxi or some other form of friendly mobility, it’s not possible for them to get around and it’s not possible for them to have a voice in the community,” she said.

Huinink did praise the Region of Waterloo and its efforts to improve accessible transportation.

“Accessible taxis are a resource that is hard to come by everywhere. I’m really, really proud of the Region of Waterloo and Waterloo Regional Council for working with the taxi companies to ensure we have grants and programs to outfit accessible vans and even premiums to cover or at least provide assistance to accessible taxi drivers.”