Whitehorse bylaw shouldn't require wheelchair access in cabs: owner

The owner of a Whitehorse cab company says he shouldn't have to add a wheelchair-accessible vehicle to his fleet.

The requirement is one of the proposed changes to the city's vehicle-for-hire bylaw.

"The demand is very low," says Anson Zhen, who owns Victory Cabs. "I have had my company for around three years already, and I have only received two to three calls inquiring about wheelchair-accessible taxis."

The city's draft bylaw says that, by 2017, every local cab company must have at least one vehicle available to transport people with disabilities.

Zhen says it would cost him at least $35,000 to buy or convert a vehicle to meet standards for accessibility. He also says he'd actually need at least two in his fleet, "because you need one for spare."

The proposed changes to the city's taxi bylaw are partly based on a survey conducted by the city. Of the 165 respondents, 64 per cent said it's "crucial" that cabbies are trained to safely transport people with disabilities. Half of respondents thought it "very important" or "crucial" to offer discounts to people with disabilities.

Zhen says he would support the bylaw changes if he could charge a higher fare for his accessible vehicle. He says another cab company in town already does that. But Zhen says he was told that won't be an option.

"I have talked to the bylaw manager," Zhen says. "They will not allow us to charge extra for the wheelchair accessible taxi."

Zhen says clients with physical disabilities are better off using the city's Handy Bus service, which costs just $2.50 per fare. 

Residents and business owners have until Friday to comment on the draft bylaw.