January’s ACPD committee meeting saw a lively discussion of accessible taxis and the lack of accessible washrooms on the Hamilton Beach Front Trail.
Director of Licensing Ken Leendertse spoke with the committee about accessible taxis, hearing complaints from ACPD members about taxis not showing up or being dispatched in a timely manner.
Of note, Leendertse told the committee that he is considering asking Council to approve the issuing of six new accessible taxi plates per year for the next three years to increase the number of designated accessible taxis in Hamilton to 34 from the present 16.
Accessible taxi plates are issued to drivers on the waiting list for new plates. At present, the City only allows for 447 licensed taxi plates.
On accessible washrooms, staff committed to adding motors to the doors for accessibility and to ensure future builds meet accessibility standards. No timelines were committed to, with staff citing the cost of improvements and the city’s deferred infrastructure deficit.
You can also download the full 25 page agenda package as a PDF.