Lack of 24/7 accessible taxis "deplorable"

The Sault Ste. Marie Police Services Board, at its meeting Thursday, was informed of the need for Sault residents with mobility issues to be able to receive fully accessible, 24/7 taxi cab services.

Currently, the Sault Transit Parabus, Gateway to Mobility and Home and Health Mobility provide passengers with mobility issues with transportation to medical and non-medical appointments, but such trips have to be arranged in advance and such service is not available around the clock.

Matthew Caputo, solicitor and prosecutor with the city of Sault Ste. Marie’s legal department, and Nancie Scott, city accessibility coordinator, were on hand to advise the board of the need for same day, around-the-clock, accessible taxi cab services for those with mobility disabilities.

“Our issue is currently we don’t have that same day service available for those with accessibility issues and we would like to change that,” Caputo said to the board.

“We’re recommending that the Police Services Board provide a report to city council requesting that licenses only be issued to taxi cab companies that offer accessible services to the public 24/7.”

Thursday’s presentation from Caputo and Scott came after public input sessions for people with disabilities were held in 2013.

“Unless they need an ambulance, there is literally nothing they can do to get to the location they want to get to if they don’t have someone with a vehicle who can accommodate their need…they simply cannot do anything after the regular business hours of the Parabus,” Caputo said.

“We’re going to address it,” said Ian MacKenzie, Sault Ste. Marie Police Services board chair, speaking to SooToday after Thursday’s board meeting.

“We’ve definitely agreed to address it by meeting with the legal professionals and the accessibility professionals to make a recommendation to city council…we’re definitely in favour of some kind of access for these individuals through the taxi industry,” MacKenzie said.

Council would make the necessary changes to the current city bylaw regarding taxi cab companies, while the Sault Police Service is responsible for granting and renewing taxi cab company licenses.  

Referring to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and recommendations from the Sault’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, Caputo said each local cab company with up to 35 vehicles should have one fully accessible cab on the road 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A local cab company with more than 35 vehicles should have two fully accessible cabs on the road 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the recommendations stated.

By comparison, North Bay has one accessible on demand taxi cab on the road 24 hours a day, Timmins has two, Sudbury has seven.

For now, the Accessibility Advisory Committee is asking for three accessible, on demand taxi cabs for the Sault.

“This is not asking to go above and beyond other northern cities,” Caputo said.

The accessible cabs would not be intended to be a replacement for the Sault Transit Parabus, Gateway to Mobility or Home and Health Mobility, Caputo said.

Thursday’s meeting was attended by people with mobility disabilities, their family members, support workers and taxi cab company owners.

The owners were concerned with the cost of outfitting cabs with ramps and other equipment needed to accommodate passengers with mobility issues.

It is estimated the cost of equipment for an accessible vehicle would be at least $45,000.

“There are already companies dealing with people with special needs, with a special vehicle and special training…equipment wise I would be looking at a van with an hydraulic ramp, probably between $60,000 and $70,000,” said Sault Yellow Cab owner Ric Waite.

“If the city is the one deeming this, the city should help fund it,” Waite told SooToday.   

MacKenzie agreed there are major expenses involved, but suggested cab owners could apply for funding from the provincial government or through fundraising efforts in cooperation with service clubs.

Regardless of cost, the need for accessible 24/7 cabs is clearly there.

“There’s a great need for this…I go to Toronto on the Greyhound quite often and the bus gets in at midnight, and I have to get home in my wheelchair from Trunk Road up by Canadian Tire at night,” Cathy Othmer said.

“There is such need because even this week I had two medical appointments and I went through the rain and got poured on to get to those appointments, and if you forget to book the Parabus in advance, then it’s hard,” said Derrick Lavallee, who, like Othmer, is in a wheelchair.

“If someone forgets to book the Parabus they can utilize the on demand taxis…other cities have them, why don’t we?” Lavallee said.

“I think it’s deplorable that we have people, through no fault of their own, during certain periods of time during the day who can’t get anywhere, they can’t just call and go somewhere because there’s nothing available to take them, so it needs to be addressed,” MacKenzie said.

(PHOTO: Derrick Lavallee with Nancie Scott, city of Sault Ste. Marie Accessibility Coordinator. Darren Taylor/SooToday)