Wheelchair accessible taxis on Kamloops council’s agenda

KAMLOOPS – A motion set to come before Kamloops city council tomorrow, Jan. 18, will encourage the two local taxi companies to keep their wheelchair accessible cabs on the roads “24/7.”

The suggestion comes from the social planning committee, after a presentation from a local citizen about challenges people with disabilities must deal with.

Kami Cabs general manager Satinder Mann said he supported the idea.

“We only have one van, the only time it’s off the road is when it’s in an accident or in for repairs,” he says.

Yellow Cabs co-owner and president Abdul Rasheed is also behind the encouragement. He said with four wheelchair cabs, Yellow Cabs is already meeting the demand they’ve seen, which includes Handcart overload.

“We have four wheelchair vans, though one is down right now,” Rasheed says. “Most often they are working all hours.”

Mann said Kami Cabs had applied for another wheelchair accessible van in 2014, but it wasn’t approved.

Both companies said they generally have at least one wheel chair cab on the street, unless one is damaged or being maintained.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Brendan Kergin at bkergin@infonews.ca or call 250-819-6089. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.