_________________________Councilmember Mary M. Cheh
AN AMENDMENT
#1IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIADate: July 10, 2012Offered By: Councilmember Mary M. ChehTitle: Bill 19-630
, the “
Taxicab Service Improvement Amendment Act of 201
2”
Version:
_
__ Introduced
_
__ Draft Committee Print___ Committee Print___ First Reading___ Amended First Reading_x_ Engrossed___ Enrolled___ AINS
Part A. -- Accessibility Amendments
1. Sec. 20h (b) (Page 29) is amended as follows:
(a) Subsection (a) is amended by striking the period and inserting the phrase “, and the
Human Rights Act of 1977, effective December 13, 1977 (D.C. Law 2-38; D.C. Official Code §2-
1401.01 et seq.).” in its place.
(b) Sub-subparagraph (b)(2)(A)(ii
) is amended by striking “The Department of DisabilityServices” and inserting “The Office of Human Rights” in its place.
(c) Subparagraph (b)(3)(B) is amend
ed by striking the word “demand” and inserting theword “need” in its place.
(d) Strike Subparagraph (b)(3)(D).(e) Subparagraph (b)(3)(E) is amended by striking:
(1) The phrase “appropriate number” and inserting the word “need” in its place;
(2) The word
“and”;
(f) Subparagraph (b)(3)(F) is amended by striking the period and inserting a semi-colonin its place.(g) Subparagraph (b)(3)
(G) is amended by striking the period and inserting the phrase “;and” in its place.
(h) New subparagraphs (b)(3)(H) and (I) are added to read as follows:
“
(H) The means by which the District can achieve a fleet of 100% wheelchairaccessible taxicabs; and
“
(I) A proposed timeline and plan, including an analysis of the feasibility, costs,and benefits, for requiring all new taxicabs to be wheelchair accessible when replacing old
taxicabs that are removed from service.”
Explanation and Rationale
This section would add the Office of Human Rights to the Disabled Taxicab AdvisoryCommittee in place of the Department of Disability Services as OHR investigates claimsof taxi discrimination, unlike DDS, which is not very involved with disabled taxi issues.
It updates language to include culturally sensitive words to describe the demand foraccessible taxicab services.
It directs the Disabled Taxicab Advisory Committee to examine how the number of accessible taxicabs could be increased by requiring that new taxicabs entering service beaccessible.2. Sec. 20h (c) (Page 30) is amended as follows:(a) Subparagraph (c)(1) is amended as follows:(1) Strike
the phrase “or association”
; and
(2) Strike the phrase “fleet shall dedicate a substantial percentage of its fleet to
accessible taxicabs
” and insert the phrase “fleet as of July 1, 2012, or anytime thereafter shall
dedicate a portion of its taxi fleet
” in its place.
(b) Subparagraph (c)(1)(A) is amended to read as follows:
“(A) At least
6% of each taxi fleet shall be wheelchair-accessible by December31, 2014
.”.
(c) New subparagraphs (c)(1)(A-1) and (A-2) are added to read as follows:
“(A
-1) At least 12% of each taxi fleet shall be wheelchair-accessible by December31, 2016.
“(A
-2) At least 20% of each taxi fleet shall be wheelchair-accessible by December
31, 2018.”
(d) Subparagraph (c)(1)(B) is amended by striking the phrase
“demand” and inserting the phrase “need” in its place.
(e) Subparagraph (c)(3) is amended to read as follows:
“
With the Disability Taxicab Advisory Committee and the Chief Financial Officer, theCommission shall develop a program to provide grants, loans, or other types of financialassistance and incentives to applicants and owners of licensed taxicabs to offset the cost of buying, retrofitting, maintaining, and operating a vehicle for use as a wheelchair-accessibletaxicab.
”.
Explanation and Rationale
This section would clarify the requirement for taxicab fleets to increase the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles applies only to fleets owned by companies, not taxicabsowned by individual drivers, even if they are associated with a company.
It establishes a timeline for taxi fleets to reach the 20% wheelchair accessiblerequirement and sets interim goals.
It directs the Commission to develop a program to provide grants, loans, or other types of financial assistance and incentives to offset the cost of purchasing and operatingwheelchair accessible taxicabs.
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3. Sec. 20h (f)(1) (Page 31) is amended as follows:
(a) Strike the phrase “
Be retrofitted to
accommodate” and insert the phrase“Accommodate” in its place.
Explanation and Rationale
This section would make a technical change to the description of a wheelchair accessiblevehicle.4. Sec. 20h (g) (Page 31) is amended to read as follows:
“
(g) Every licensed taxicab operator accepting fares shall:
“(1) Stop for a prospective passenger
in a wheelchair or mobility deviceattempting to street-hail a taxicab. The operator shall ask whether the passenger wishes to ride inthat taxicab or, if the driver is not driving a wheelchair-accessible taxicab and is affiliated with ataxicab company or association that offers such services, wishes to have the operator contact adispatch service to send a wheelchair-accessible taxicab. A taxicab operator shall not be subjectto the requirements of this subsection while transporting a fare or responding to a dispatched callfor service;
“(2) Grant priority to requests for service from passengers who use wheelchairs,
and once dispatched to a call from a customer using a wheelchair shall not accept any other farewhile traveling to the fare. In the absence of a request for service to a passenger who uses awheelchair, a wheelchair-accessible taxicab operator may transport any person; and
“(3) When accepting fares, if not carrying a passenger or not responding to a
dispatched call for service, shall stop and inquire of a prospective passenger in a wheelchair ormobility device attempting to street-hail a taxicab whether the passenger wishes to ride in thattaxicab or, if the driver is not driving a wheelchair-accessible taxicab and is affiliated with ataxicab company that offers such services, wishes to have the driver contact a dispatch service tosend a wheelchair-accessible taxicab.
Explanation and Rationale
This section would clarify that an on-duty taxicab without passengers is required to stopfor a person in a wheelchair attempting to hail a taxi.
If the taxicab cannot transport the person in a wheelchair, the driver would be required tocontact a dispatch service if it is affiliated with a company or association.5. Sec. 20h (e) (Page 32) is amended as follows:(a) Paragraph 1 is amended to read as follows:
“(1)
Operate wheelchair-accessible taxicabs equipped with dispatch technologyand maintain the capacity to communicate with every wheelchair-accessible taxicab operatingunder their service;
”.
(b) A new paragraph (1A) is added to read as follows:
“(1A)
Grant priority to requests for service from passengers who use wheelchairs,and once dispatched to a call from a customer using a wheelchair, shall not accept any other farewhile traveling to the fare. In the absence of a request for service to a passenger who uses awheelchair, a wheelchair-accessible taxicab operator may transport any person;
”.
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