For those who do not know what it is, the TaxiSaver program is designed for people with disabilities who are eligible for HandyDart, Metro Vancouver's para-transit service. TaxiSaver is supposed to complement that service for instances where HandyDart is not an option, such as for last-minute or unplanned trips, by subsidizing 50% of the cost of a cab fare.
Even though I do not use HandyDart or TaxiSaver myself, I know some people who do. It did not surprise me one bit when the news was met with outrage.
One of the biggest issues facing people with disabilities who take public transit is planning. Able-bodied people can "hop on" and "hop off" whenever they want, but people with disabilities have to consider multiple factors:
- How accessible are the bus stops? (In the City of Vancouver, over 50% of the bus stops outside the downtown core are not designated as accessible.)
- How accessible is the destination? Is there an accessible place to get off the bus?
- Do the vehicles' accessibility features work for the destination? (ie. A ramp/lift may not work well for a rural road or roads without sidewalks.)
- Are the bus stops on a slope? Can a wheelchair user handle that slope?
- For people with other conditions (such as vision impairments), are there dangers around the bus stops that the person may not be aware of?
- etc.
As you can see, it is not a simple procedure. This is where HandyDart would usually come in, because they would have specialized service that would drop off the passenger at a safe spot.
However, there are major shortcomings of HandyDart:
- Trips must be booked well in advance: at least 24 hours and sometimes up to a week.*
- Trips make multiple stops and detours throughout a city to pick up other passengers. It is not unheard of for a simple one-way trip to take hours.
- Despite the duration, regular adult fares apply for the trip (while concession fares can be used for trips using conventional transit).
- Trips operate on strict schedules. If you miss your outbound or return trip, you missed it. It is not as simple as "waiting for the next one."*
I italicized several points because those are the most important ones.
TaxiSaver's major advantage is countering HandyDart's required advanced booking. Unlike HandyDart, TaxiSaver does NOT require a booking well in advance. It allows for spontaneous last-minute trips. This is especially important for people who may be called in to work at the last minute, people whose doctor just opened up a last-minute appointment and younger people with disabilities who have active social lives. Without TaxiSaver, many of these people would not be able to make it to their workplace, doctor's offices or friends' gatherings.
The other major advantage is not having to adhere to a strict schedule. How many times have you gone to a mall and found something cool and need to spend some unexpected time to take a look at it? Or how many times has something happened (ie. you lost your wallet) and need to spend extra time to resolve the situation? HandyDart's strict schedule does not allow for this kind of flexibility, and once the ride is gone, it is gone. It is not like a bus, where you can wait for the next trip. TaxiSaver would allow for things like these, and allow someone to find his/her way home even if the HandyDart ride is gone.
One of TransLink's reasons for eliminating the TaxiSaver is that the fleet is now accessible, unlike a decade ago.
However, they are forgetting the very fact that HandyDart (and, in turn, TaxiSaver) exists. The service exists for those who cannot take conventional transit without assistance due to age or disability. Therefore, if a last-minute trip is needed, then you are effectively "throwing the person to the wolves," so to speak.
It is not a secret that many of TransLink's routes are overcrowded. For someone with a disability, that is a near insurmountable challenge. If a person with a disability is "thrown to the wolves," he/she may be jostled (especially startling if you are blind), there may not even be space for someone to get on (especially for wheelchair users who cannot "squeeze on" like able-bodied people), there may be too much noise around to pick out individual noises like stop announcements (bad for those who have hearing or visual impairments) and so on.
Imagine if you fit into one of those examples I just listed. How would YOU cope on conventional public transit, if you were forced to?
You probably would not cope well at all.
Over time, the bad experiences may pile up and you may decide to simply stay home instead of joining your friends.
You may decide to say "no" to your boss wanting you to come in for a last-minute shift. This may cost you your job.
You may not be able to go to a last-minute doctor's appointment, and continue to suffer from an illness, an injury or pain.
Is it not obvious, then, why getting rid of the TaxiSaver program would be catastrophically bad?
(Ironically enough, TaxiSaver costs TransLink less to run per trip than HandyDart; in other words, TaxiSaver is MORE cost-efficient than HandyDart!)
This is yet another situation where it is obvious that people without disabilities are automatically assuming that they know what is best for people with disabilities without any knowledge of the issues that they face. It makes me wonder why people without disabilities are often put in charge of many services for people with disabilities. The outcry in response to the TaxiSaver's proposed cancellation is proof of a situation where those without disabilities simply "don't get it" sometimes.
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