A group is working to get an accessible cab on the road in Timmins.
At today’s Urban Market downtown Timmins, the Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee (MAAC) was drumming up support for an accessible minivan.
“For those who need it that are in mobility devices, they do not have on-demand service like every one of us takes for granted. I can go into any cab with Kirk (a seeing-eye dog) also, but it’s those people with mobility devices that want to get out and socialize or get that last-minute doctor’s appointment,” said Dan McKay, the MAAC chair.
The city operates Handy Transit, but clients have to be registered and pre-book services.
“You have to know days in advance of any appointment you may want to get to. The Handy Trans follows the conventional bus hours, therefore 6 in the morning until 11:30 at night,” he said.
Last year, McKay helped lobby for accessible taxi licenses. While there are two available per company, he said no one has taken advantage of it.
Today, Custom Coach 2007 Inc. set up its accessible minivan downtown for people to check out and show support for the need for the service.
“This vehicle is a lowered floor minivan and its unique properties is that the ramp for accessibility is under the vehicle built into a cassette and it’s manually operated. It stays stowed out of the way of passengers until it’s required,” explained David Branston.
Typically, he said the price tag for the vehicles is in the mid-$50,000.
To sweeten the incentive for local companies, McKay said the MAAC has $20,000 available to invest as well.
