'Not good for the city,' says mayor of accessible transportation complaint

A new committee struck by Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown met Thursday to deal with accessible transportation problems in the city.

The committee — including members of city council, taxi companies, police, P.E.I. Council of People with Disabilities, and the accessible transportation company Pat and the Elephant — met with Paul Cudmore, who struggled to find a way home when his wheelchair-accessible van broke down in Charlottetown late one night in January.

"It's not good for the city," said Brown of the lack of 24-hour accessible transportation in the city.

"It's a taxpayer issue, because we're all part of this great city that we live in."

Brown said he is concerned about what might have happened if Cudmore had not been able to contact friends to help him get home.

Permanent and stop-gap solutions

Charlottetown has accessible transit buses on some routes, and Pat and the Elephant operates during the day, but none of the city's taxi companies have accessible vehicles.

Brown noted accessible taxis are available in many cities, including Summerside. In the long-term, he said, the city will be looking at its taxi bylaw comparing it to Summerside's and other cities, to see what changes can be made to ensure accessible transportation. He also wants to ensure transit buses are accessible on all routes.

In the short-term, Pat and the Elephant is investigating what it would cost the city to extend its operating hours.

"That's only a stop-gap, because we have to look at providing a service for the whole city and all the time — 24-hour service. So that will involve our taxi operators," said Brown.

Brown said the committee will also look at accessibility issues around ride-hailing services currently being considered by the province.

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