PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Michael Ring, Vice President of Disabled in Action, on Accessibility Issues in NYC Taxis
2:20:33
ยท
125 sec
Michael Ring, Vice President of Disabled in Action, testified about accessibility issues in NYC taxis, particularly focusing on the challenges faced by wheelchair users. He highlighted the lack of incentives for drivers to pick up passengers using wheelchairs and the need for better training and equipment.
- Ring emphasized the need for more incentives to encourage drivers to stop for wheelchair users, suggesting that Accessible Dispatch could be a solution.
- He pointed out issues with driver training, including insufficient knowledge of how to secure wheelchairs and ensure passenger safety.
- Ring advocated for maintaining Accessible Dispatch rather than replacing it with app-based services, citing the importance of local knowledge and human interaction.
Michael Ring
2:20:33
Hi.
2:20:34
My name is Michael Ring.
2:20:35
I'm vice president of Disabled in Action.
2:20:38
Disabled In Action is one of the organizations that was the plaintiff in the lawsuit that got 50% of the yellow taxis to be accessible.
2:20:47
And that's that's great.
2:20:49
But the big problem is is that the drivers have no incentive to stop and pick someone up who's using a wheelchair.
2:20:56
It's gonna if they know what they're doing, it's gonna take three to five minutes to secure a wheelchair, and they don't get any extra money for that three, five minutes in, three, five minutes out.
2:21:07
But many of them claim they don't know how to secure a wheelchair, and I hear that so many times when I travel with my friends that use wheelchairs that I believe them.
2:21:16
Their training is insufficient.
2:21:18
I'm not sure if they've been taught how to secure a wheelchair.
2:21:22
They often don't have the equipment in the back of their car to to do it.
2:21:27
They don't think someone needs to wear a seat belt if their wheelchair is secured, but they can pop right out of the wheelchair if they stop fast.
2:21:34
It's it's very dangerous.
2:21:36
So there needs to be some more incentives to get the drivers to stop for people that use wheelchairs.
2:21:42
Accessible dispatch is the answer for that.
2:21:45
The drivers that sign up for that will be told that their passenger is using a wheelchair, and they should get some extra money to make that trip and pick someone up in a wheelchair.
2:21:55
And accessible dispatch shouldn't be replaced by app based services because I don't know if anyone's ever tried to, communicate with Uber.
2:22:05
You get an AI, robot, helping you, and that's not helpful if you need someone who lives in New York and understands New York like, accessible dispatch does.
2:22:16
That's all I had to say.
2:22:18
But sitting on this panel, two years ago, I was in a my car my Uber was totaled.
2:22:25
I I was fine.
2:22:26
We were on North Conduit Boulevard.
2:22:28
Now I understand why half a dozen people threw their lawyers' business cards at me.
2:22:34
And I did I didn't sue anyone, but now it all makes sense to me.