Int 0555-2003

Be it enacted by the Council as follows: Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The Council finds that there is a severe lack of for-hire vehicle transportation available in the City of New York for disabled individuals using wheelchairs and motorized scooters. The fact that a disabled wheelchair or motorized scooter user cannot simply call a licensed for-hire vehicle base station and arrange for a vehicle to pick them up in a timely manner, the way a non-wheelchair or motorized scooter user can, is simply unacceptable. The Council commends the Mayoral Administration and A Ride For All, LLC for beginning to remedy this transportation inequity by licensing and establishing a new for-hire vehicle base station comprised exclusively of wheelchair-accessible vehicles. To encourage this type of public-private initiative, the Council hereby expedites the approval of A Ride For All, LLC's application for a new license to operate a base station. While anticipating the success and growth of this particular base station and the services it will provide to the disabled community, the Council observes that this base station approval is but a first step towards making wheelchair-accessible for-hire vehicle service routinely available upon demand in the City of New York in a manner that comports with all applicable Federal, State and City laws and rules that provide for equivalent service and price to the same transportation conveyances available to the members of the public who are not disabled or use wheelchairs or scooters for medical reasons. �2. The determination by the taxi and limousine commission to approve an application by A Ride For All, LLC for a license to operate a base station at 41-10 24th Street in the borough of Queens is hereby approved. �3. This local law shall take effect immediately. MBS-8-22-03 Revised -9-4-03 Revised-9-8-03