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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Michael Ring, Vice President of Disabled in Action
6:21:33
ยท
115 sec
Michael Ring, representing Disabled in Action, addressed the City Council regarding accessibility issues in transportation services for people with disabilities. He highlighted concerns about communication barriers with TLC drivers and the need for leniency in ticketing rideshare vehicles assisting disabled passengers.
- Emphasized the importance of English-speaking requirements for TLC drivers serving disabled passengers to ensure safety and effective communication
- Raised concerns about new regulations increasing ticketing for rideshare vehicles in bus lanes or stops, which could negatively impact disabled passengers who rely on these services
- Suggested finding a middle ground between keeping bus lanes clear and accommodating the needs of disabled passengers using rideshare services
Michael Ring
6:21:33
Hi.
6:21:34
Hi.
6:21:34
My name is Michael Ring.
6:21:36
Today, I'm representing Disabled in Action.
6:21:38
I'm the first vice second vice president.
6:21:40
I'm also a lifelong New Yorker.
6:21:43
I've been had a driver's license since I was 16 years old.
6:21:47
But I'm I'm also an Accessoride user, and this is the place where people look at the big picture.
6:21:53
And I just wanted to remind everyone here that Accessoride outsources a great proportion of their rides to TLC vehicles, broker services and other Uber type vehicles, which are not supervised by the MTA.
6:22:11
And there are two regulations that are coming down that you guys need to pay attention to.
6:22:17
First, the not all TLC drivers, there's no requirement for speaking English.
6:22:24
But when people with disabilities get into a car, there needs to be some sort of communication going on.
6:22:30
And it's very frustrating for disabled people to get into a TLC vehicle and not be able to communicate.
6:22:36
I sometimes need help operating the seat belt and the driver just doesn't understand me.
6:22:41
It's kinda dangerous.
6:22:42
Also, there's new regulations coming forward about increased ticketing for rideshare vehicles that might be in bus lanes or bus stops.
6:22:51
A lot of disabled people are using rideshare and can't always get to the corner or can't find the vehicle if it's not right in front of the address where they're being dropped off.
6:23:00
So there needs to be some leniency for the drivers.
6:23:03
They're not running into a bodega and getting a bagel.
6:23:06
They're helping a person with a disability get into their vehicle, and they need to the ticketing agencies need to be aware that that they're right there.
6:23:17
I also understand how important it is to keep the bus lanes and bus stops clear, but there's gotta be a little bit of middle ground.
6:23:24
That's all I have today, and thanks for sticking it out on this long day.