Allan Hawkins sat in his wheelchair in the reception area of his South Surrey care facility with a blanket wrapped around his legs and a jaunty, English-style peaked cap on his head.
It was his 85th birthday, and his daughter and her husband had planned to take him out for a nice lunch at the local White Spot restaurant.
They含羞草研究社檇 planned ahead, and booked a taxi in advance, making sure the company knew they needed wheelchair-accessible transportation, with an arrival time of 10:30 a.m., to give them plenty of time to get there and enjoy the special occasion.
But 10:30 a.m. came and went, and they were still waiting.
When they called the cab company, they were told a taxi was on its way, so John Bogar went ahead to the restaurant to secure a table, while his wife, Jane Hawkins, waited with her father.
They kept waiting expectantly, excited for his milestone birthday celebration.
And waiting.
And waiting.
含羞草研究社淓ventually, my wife was assured the taxi would be there in five minutes, but it did not show up,含羞草研究社� Bogar said.
含羞草研究社淢y wife waited with her father in his wheelchair while I occupied a prime table during peak time at the restaurant. We all just waited and waited含羞草研究社� shortly after 12 noon, we abandoned our waiting for the taxi, disappointed we could not celebrate the day as intended.含羞草研究社�
The taxi simply not showing up, 含羞草研究社渃ompletely ruined our day,含羞草研究社� he said.
含羞草研究社淚t was his birthday. They made a commitment and we had an appointment in advance.含羞草研究社�
Despite their repeated calls and attempts to clarify whether a cab would be coming, the fact they didn含羞草研究社檛 get any clear answers or an apology for the taxi含羞草研究社檚 failure to show up was frustrating, the couple said.
含羞草研究社淲e just gave up. It was so disappointing 含羞草研究社� they could have said, 含羞草研究社榃e含羞草研究社檙e super busy,含羞草研究社� or told us there were no cabs available,含羞草研究社� Bogar said.
Hawkins noted it wasn含羞草研究社檛 the first time a wheelchair-accessible taxi has shown up extremely late or, not at all.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檝e stood waiting here for hours,含羞草研究社� she said, indicating the care facility含羞草研究社檚 lobby.
含羞草研究社淚t robs people of enjoying special moments in their lives.含羞草研究社�
Grants announced to help
A lack of reliable wheelchair-accessible transportation for people with mobility issues isn含羞草研究社檛 anything new on the Semiahmoo Peninsula, or even across B.C. and all of Canada.
While HandyDART can be an option for the accessible community, it含羞草研究社檚 not a program everyone chooses to use, or may be eligible for.
含羞草研究社淚 use a wheelchair myself. I含羞草研究社檝e had varying experiences across communities,含羞草研究社� said Dan Coulter, the province含羞草研究社檚 Minister of State for Infrastructure and Transit.
含羞草研究社淪ome communities take quite a while for a taxi to come, some you have to book 24 hours in advance含羞草研究社� in places like Vancouver, there can be problems, especially on nights with tons of peak use like Friday night.含羞草研究社�
He remembered one time, on a Friday night in Vancouver when he was out with a friend, trying to get a taxi home was extremely difficult.
含羞草研究社淚 was told I had to wait for a cab for two hours含羞草研究社� my friend and I decided to use a regular taxi, and I actually ended up breaking my knee,含羞草研究社� Coulter said.
含羞草研究社淚 had a brace on my leg for eight weeks with my leg stuck out straight, so it was an ordeal.含羞草研究社�
Coulter said experiences like his and Hawkins含羞草研究社� are the reason the provincial government introduced the Passenger Transportation Accessibility Program (PTAP), which is intended to improve services and experiences for the accessibility community by providing funding and training to the taxi industry.
The PTAP is funded by revenues collected from the per-trip fee that came into effect in September 2019 as part of the province含羞草研究社檚 efforts to introduce ride hailing and to modernize the taxi industry.
The per-trip fee was created to offset the regulatory costs and impacts of enabling ride-hailing operations and to help alleviate the impact that ride hailing has had on the availability of wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs).
Earlier this year, the province announced that nearly $3 million would be available to eligible taxi owner-operators for costs associated with maintaining their wheelchair-accessible taxis, and on May 1, they announced the 51 taxi companies that had proven eligible for $2.6 million in provincial grants.
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Coulter said the grants will help clear financial barriers that have created a challenge to expand access for people with disabilities.
含羞草研究社淥ur government strongly believes in accessibility and strongly believes in everyone having the right to full participation in their communities,含羞草研究社� Coulter said.
含羞草研究社淔olks getting to work and school, restaurants or plays and then being able to return home safely and have that as a reliable source of transportation, is important to us.含羞草研究社�
Right now, there are 603 wheelchair-accessible taxis approved for British Columbia, 含羞草研究社渂ut only 415 are currently on the road.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淭he maintenance on these vehicles is quite a bit more than your standard taxi, so a lot of these taxis are off the road due to maintenance concerns. That含羞草研究社檚 why the first intake of this program is (to) get those taxis on the road.含羞草研究社�
Over the next two years, the ministry will launch three additional funding streams that will focus on reducing the cost of operating, purchasing and converting wheelchair-accessible taxis, and providing training to better support the passengers who rely on them.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 a great thing for British Columbians 含羞草研究社� it gets people out of their homes and it gets them participating in their communities,含羞草研究社� Coulter said.
含羞草研究社淎 lot of people, I think, take for granted they can call a cab and it will show up in a reasonable amount of time含羞草研究社� this is going to make that a reality for folks that rely on accessible taxis as well.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社楢n additional barrier含羞草研究社�
Former Surrey South MLA Stephanie Cadieux, who last May was named the Government of Canada含羞草研究社檚 first Chief Accessibility Officer, said the challenge of finding a wheelchair-accessible taxi isn含羞草研究社檛 restricted to B.C.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 definitely an issue in a lot of places含羞草研究社� this is not a story I have not heard before,含羞草研究社� she said.
As someone who uses a wheelchair, she knows how frustrating a lack of reliable transportation can be, especially when she含羞草研究社檚 travelling.
含羞草研究社淚 certainly have had that challenge when I travel 含羞草研究社� it含羞草研究社檚 really problematic. You含羞草研究社檙e relying on a service you含羞草研究社檝e put your faith in by booking for a time, and to have them not show up can really upset a person含羞草研究社檚 schedule, or ability to get to a doctor含羞草研究社檚 appointment or work appointment,含羞草研究社� said Cadieux.
含羞草研究社淲e do have to recognize that people with disabilities are people with lives and schedules and they matter just as much as any other passenger, and we should be able to rely on the service just as anyone else can.含羞草研究社�
UNITI executive director Doug Tennant said the lack of WAVs is definitely an issue when it comes to mobility-challenged people being able to participate in community events.
He remembered last year含羞草研究社檚 Dances at the Pier in White Rock, which UNITI sponsored, and how it was difficult for people with mobility issues to get there, 含羞草研究社渂ecause the access to taxis that could take wheelchairs just wasn含羞草研究社檛 there.含羞草研究社�
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含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 more difficult for people with disabilities to participate in the life of the community 含羞草研究社� especially in the evening or on weekends, when other people are out enjoying themselves,含羞草研究社� he said.
含羞草研究社淭he really sad thing is a lot of people with disabilities are stuck at home, as this is just an additional barrier.含羞草研究社�
More accountability needed
Even with the recent funding announcements, some feel taxi companies should be held more accountable, especially when wheelchair-accessible vehicles are booked ahead of time and the transportation shows up extremely late, or often, not at all 含羞草研究社� without any explanation or apology.
Jackie Poirer, who is a unit clerk at a residential care facility in South Surrey, said she sees wheelchair-accessible taxis simply not show up on a weekly basis.
含羞草研究社淲e have a convalescent unit here and we get patients from all the various hospitals, and most of them need orthopaedic follow-up appointments,含羞草研究社� Poirer said, noting the clients are usually in wheelchairs.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e had patients who sat in the lobby for three-and-a-half hours,含羞草研究社� she said.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 just heartbreaking. It disturbs me a lot.含羞草研究社�
Poirer said she has tried making complaints, but because she含羞草研究社檚 not the passenger/fare, only the one booking for patients, she has been told the complaint must come from the customers themselves. She said she has tried contacting the taxi company to complain, but, 含羞草研究社淚 just get ping-ponged around.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淪ometimes, (patients) are going to surgery and they have to get there 含羞草研究社� they have to get there 含羞草研究社� and the taxi just doesn含羞草研究社檛 show,含羞草研究社� she said.
含羞草研究社淭he elderly are so vulnerable. The feeling I get is that they just don含羞草研究社檛 care含羞草研究社� So who is going to make them accountable?含羞草研究社�
The Peace Arch News reached out multiple times over a period of several weeks to taxi companies that serve the Semiahmoo Peninsula seeking comment, but received no response, or were directed to managers who were unavailable.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure partners with Consumer Protection BC (CPBC) to collect feedback on taxi services, according to ministry staff. CPBC considers, records and refers complaints to the ministry for investigation/resolution, and the ministry含羞草研究社檚 Passenger Transportation Enforcement Officers (PTEOs) also take complaints directly.
Over the past year the ministry has received, either directly or via CPBC, more than 30 complaints regarding mobility challenges.
There is very strict criteria outlined in Passenger Transportation Regulations regarding trip refusals, ministry staff noted.
Drivers not compliant with this criteria may be ticketed $288 per offence and administrative penalties may also be applied to the driver含羞草研究社檚 company.
MLA for South Surrey-White Rock Trevor Halford, who is also shadow minister for transportation and infrastructure, said he knows from his own experience a few years ago the challenges of trying to book a wheelchair-accessible taxi for his grandfather, whether it was for a doctor含羞草研究社檚 appointment, grocery shopping or even to vote.
含羞草研究社淚n terms of finding one, it was incredibly cumbersome to do so,含羞草研究社� Halford said.
含羞草研究社淎nd then more often than not, it wouldn含羞草研究社檛 show up or it wouldn含羞草研究社檛 be able to show up at the time you requested it.含羞草研究社�
While the PTAP funding will help, Halford said it含羞草研究社檚 important people not be left stranded, potentially outside in the cold or dark, for hours without transportation, simply because they are in a wheelchair.
含羞草研究社淲e need to make sure that we have cabs available here that can take people with wheelchairs, full stop,含羞草研究社� he said.
Coulter said the government is working toward that goal, and to eventually, provide more resources for taxi drivers.
含羞草研究社淲e also want to provide access to learning opportunities to improve drivers含羞草研究社� service to people who depend on these vehicles,含羞草研究社� Coulter said.
含羞草研究社淓ventually, we want to reduce the extra costs associated with purchasing and converting WAVs. We know as the population ages 含羞草研究社� that we are all only all temporarily-abled 含羞草研究社� as the population ages that含羞草研究社檚 where the demographic is going,含羞草研究社� he said.
含羞草研究社淭his is going to be good for everyone.含羞草研究社�
tricia.weel@peacearchnews.com
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