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Who must comply with this rule? |
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 All for-hire vehicle base stations, including black car and luxury limousine base stations licensed by the TLC. This also includes base stations located outside of New York City but licensed by the TLC. [Back to Top] |
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What must I do to comply with this rule? |
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As a licensed base station owner, you may either dispatch an accessible vehicle affiliated with your base, or arrange for the dispatch of an accessible vehicle from another TLC-licensed base station. You are responsible for ensuring that "equivalent service" is rendered to persons with disabilities even if you dispatch an affiliated vehicle or are contracting with another base to provide equivalent service. For instance, no additional fee may be charged for transporting persons with disabilities. This service equivalency requirement will be met only if the service available to persons with disabilities, when viewed in its entirety, is provided in the most integrated setting to the needs of these individuals, and is equivalent to the service provided to other individuals with respect to the following service characteristics:
[Back to Top] |
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What is an accessible vehicle? |
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For the purposes of complying with this rule, "accessible vehicle" means a vehicle capable of transporting individuals who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids, and complies with the accessibility requirement of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended, and the Regulations promulgated thereunder. It may not be a paratransit vehicle or ambulette as defined by Chapter 4 of the Commission Rules. Moreover, the vehicle may not bear external markings, other than those required by the ADA or other applicable law, identifying it as an accessible vehicle. For instance, the vehicle cannot be marked "invalid coach." [Back to Top] |
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If I am the owner of a livery base, what kind of vehicle may I use to comply with this rule? |
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You may use an accessible minivan with a seating capacity of six (6) passengers or less, excluding the driver, equipped with either a side or rear lift or ramp to accommodate passengers using wheelchairs, to comply with this rule. You may either purchase your own vehicle to comply or arrange for the dispatch of an accessible vehicle from another TLC-licensed base station. [Back to Top] |
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-- of a black car base, what kind of vehicle may I use to comply with this rule? |
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You may use an accessible minivan or other accessible vehicle, with a seating capacity of twenty (20) passengers or less, excluding the driver, equipped with either a side or rear lift or ramp to accommodate passengers using wheelchairs, to comply with this rule. You may either purchase your own vehicle to comply or arrange for the dispatch of an accessible vehicle from another TLC-licensed base station. [Back to Top] |
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-- of a luxury limousine base, what kind of vehicle may I use to comply with this rule? |
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You may use an accessible vehicle with a seating capacity of twenty (20) passengers or less, excluding the driver, or an accessible luxury bus, equipped with a lift or ramp to accommodate passengers using wheelchairs, to comply with this rule. You may either purchase your own vehicle to comply or arrange for the dispatch of an accessible vehicle from another TLC-licensed base station. Please note that any vehicle used or placed into operation by a luxury limousine base for the purpose of complying with this rule must provide an equivalent level of service and amenity as is provided by all of the base’s limousines. Luxury limousine owners may also wish to consider retrofitting various other types of vehicles that the Commissioner will consider for compliance with this rule. [Back to Top] |
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May I contract with a TLC-licensed paratransit base to fulfill this requirement? |
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Yes, provided that the paratransit base dispatches an accessible, non-paratransit/non-ambulette vehicle duly affiliated with that base, which provides an equivalent level of service and amenity as do the vehicles your base usually dispatches. [Back to Top] |
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May I enter into a contract or other agreement with another licensed for-hire vehicle base(s) to purchase (an) accessible vehicle(s), thereby sharing the costs of ownership and operation? |
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Yes. [Back to Top] |
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Where can I get a list of vehicle manufacturers that will meet this requirement? |
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This information may be obtained here. [Back to Top] |
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What if I am an FHV base owner and have contracted with A Ride for All, Symphony Transportation, Vega Transportation, Bermuda Limousine or New York Cars, Corp. to provide wheelchair-accessible service to passengers upon request? |
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If you have contracted with one of these bases, you are in compliance with the TLC’s Wheelchair Accessibility Rule, as each has been approved by the TLC to provide contracted, wheelchair-accessible transportation upon request. [Back to Top] |
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-- contracted with another base (other than A Ride for All, Symphony Transportation, Vega Transportation, Bermuda Limousine or New York Cars, Corp.) to provide wheelchair-accessible service to passengers upon request? |
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To date, no other base has demonstrated to the TLC that it provides the appropriate type of vehicle necessary for compliance with the wheelchair-accessibility rule. To be in compliance, you must either purchase your own vehicle, contract with one of the following bases: A Ride for All, Symphony Transportation, or Vega Transportation; or, ensure that the base with which you have already contracted has its wheelchair-accessible vehicle(s) visually checked by the TLC. Again, each vehicle to be used for compliance with this rule must be checked and meet TLC specifications before it can be approved to provide the appropriate service.* To obtain an appointment for a visual check of vehicles, the base you have contracted with may call Executive Director John Fanelli at (718) 267-4591. * Vehicle owners must provide a certificate of conformity stating the vehicle meets Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations and/or a letter form the vehicle’s manufacturer or modifier/retrofitter that the vehicle meets ADA regulations. [Back to Top] |
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-- purchased my own vehicle(s) to provide wheelchair-accessible service to passengers upon request? |
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Before a vehicle may be used for compliance with the TLC’s wheelchair accessibility rule, it needs to be visually checked by the TLC to ensure it is appropriate for providing this type of service. Please call Executive Director John Fanelli at (718) 267-4591 to set up an appointment. [Back to Top] |
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What if my base already serves persons who use wheelchairs by placing the passenger’s wheelchair in the trunk of the vehicle? |
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Placing a passenger’s wheelchair in the trunk of a vehicle in does not constitute compliance with the TLC’s wheelchair accessibility rule. The purpose of this rule is to ensure that persons who cannot transfer from their wheelchairs into the back seat of vehicles can still have access to local car service, meaning that the vehicle(s) to be used must be wheelchair-accessible, i.e., usually a van or minivan with retractable ramp and tie downs so that a passenger may be transported while seated in his/her wheelchair. [Back to Top] |
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-- referring such calls to a nearby paratransit/ambulette base? |
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Referring callers for wheelchair-accessible service to another base does not constitute compliance with the TLC’s wheelchair accessibility rule. When you receive a call for a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, your base must place the call to the base with which you have contracted for the service. Additionally, you may not contract with a paratransit/ambulette base unless the vehicle(s) that base dispatches are unmarked on their exterior as to their paratransit/ambulette status. Otherwise, you may contract with one of the 3 TLC-licensed bases that have been approved to provide this service. These bases are A Ride for All, Symphony Transportation, and Vega Transportation. [Back to Top] |
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What if I think my base should not have to comply with this rule because it is too much of a financial burden and we never receive any (or very few) calls for the service anyway? |
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The TLC is here to assist you in complying with this rule, without undue burden. If you cannot afford to purchase your own wheelchair-accessible vehicle(s), there are 3 TLC-approved, FHV base stations capable of providing, via contract and with various payment plan options, wheelchair-accessible service upon request. All TLC-licensed FHV bases however, must comply with this rule. [Back to Top] |
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-- because I believe servicing persons who use wheelchairs is the job of paratransit/ambulette bases? |
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All TLC-licensed FHV bases must comply with this rule, and we are aiming to assist you in doing so. Paratransit/ambulette bases are primarily for specialized medical transportation, not for local, demand-responsive, daily transportation. Your base may comply with this rule by either purchasing its own accessible vehicle or by contracting with another TLC-licensed base to provide the service to passengers upon request. The bases that have been approved by the TLC to provide this service, and to contract with other bases, are A Ride for All, Symphony Transportation, and Vega Transportation. [Back to Top] |
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-- because it is a black car or luxury limousine base, and we only work with corporate accounts and/or for special events (and not local car service calls)? |
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All TLC-licensed FHV bases must comply with this rule, and we are aiming to assist you in doing so. As a black car or luxury limousine base, you are required to provide an equivalent level of service at an equivalent price when receiving requests for wheelchair-accessible service. If your base does not usually cater to local car service calls, then you are not required to provide local car service to persons who use wheelchairs, but you are required provide wheelchair-accessible transportation to anyone seeking black car and/or luxury limousine-type, wheelchair-accessible service. [Back to Top] |
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-- unless I am able to charge more for the service? |
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All TLC-licensed FHV bases must comply with this rule, and we are aiming to assist you in doing so. When a customer requests wheelchair-accessible service, you must either provide the service or arrange, via contract with another TLC-licensed base, for the service to be provided at an equivalent price and service level as your base would provide to customers who do not use wheelchairs. It is illegal for you to charge any more for wheelchair-accessible service than you would for non-accessible service. If you choose not to purchase your own wheelchair-accessible vehicle(s), there are 3 TLC-approved, FHV base stations capable of providing, via contract and with various payment plan options, wheelchair-accessible service upon request. [Back to Top] |
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