Cabbies say Phila. wheelchair rule would break them

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The Philadelphia Parking Authority's proposal to make every taxi in the city wheelchair-accessible by 2016 would drive cabbies out of business, owners and drivers said this week.

Friedman said that he supported increasing availability of the cabs, but that it's not "economically viable" to convert or replace the fleet of about 100 vehicles his company owns. Friedman's wheelchair-friendly van currently gets under 10 jobs a week, he said.

The cost of a wheelchair-accessible cab is around $40,000, while a regular cab costs around $9,000, he said. Retrofitting a cab would cost around $15,000. These costs come after the purchase of a medallion, around $400,000 these days - driven up by large cab companies that can afford that price.

Before this past fall, none of the 1,600 cabs in the city was wheelchair-accessible. In July, Disabled in Action filed a federal suit against the Parking Authority, alleging violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Weldon had a settlement conference with the group on Wednesday and said he was hopeful a resolution would be reached soon.

Cabbies say Phila. wheelchair rule would break them | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/28/2012