BC Government News Release: More Wheelchair-Accessible Taxis will Help People Connect with Communities

Details from the BC Government news release:

People who rely on wheelchair-accessible taxis to get to appointments and connect with their communities will have more options as the Province continues to support the increased presence of accessible taxis on the road.

Applications are now open for the Passenger Transportation Accessibility Program through the second round of funding.

People who depend on accessible taxis often experience longer wait times or lack of service. To address this, the Province developed the funding program in 2023 to help make accessible taxis more available by offsetting the costs that taxi companies and owner-operators face in providing wheelchair-accessible vehicles. This year’s expanded program funding will build on the success of last year’s grants by providing further incentives for taxi companies and drivers to invest in accessible vehicles.

As much as $7.8 million is available for this round of funding under the program. Funding will partially subsidize eligible applicants for costs related to vehicle maintenance, converting an existing vehicle, purchasing a converted vehicle, or purchasing a new vehicle and converting it. This year’s funding will also offer rebates to offset the higher costs of fuel and insurance that operators of accessible vehicles face.

To support applicants, this year’s application period was extended from four to six weeks and will close on March 3, 2024. Funding for the program comes from revenues collected from the per-trip fee that came into effect in September 2019 to offset the regulatory costs of ride-hailing operations and support accessible transportation.

Unlike ride-hailing companies, taxi companies are required, as part of their operating license, to reserve a portion of their fleet for accessible vehicles.

Read the full BC Government news release, here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024MOTI0007-000060

Media Contacts
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Media Relations
250 356-8241

Learn More:

To view more details about funding eligibility, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/funding-engagement-permits/funding-grants/passenger-transportation-accessibility-program#:~:text=Fuel%20costs-,Overview,passengers%20who%20rely%20on%20the