On April 29th, Council approved a new three-year pilot to improve accessible vehicle for hire access for Winnipeggers through a new on-demand service known as Winnipeg Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (Winnipeg WAV).
I am very pleased to see this program approved. There has been a lot of advocacy work. I would like to thank Patrick Stewart of the Independent Resource Living Centre and Jesse Turner, Accessibility Advisor at the University of Winnipeg, for their work towards this goal of providing accessible on-demand services for Winnipeggers who need them. I would also like to acknowledge the women that came forward to tell their stories, being trapped without on demand taxi service, sometimes resulting in security situations and every-time costing them more time and money.
Winnipeg WAV will provide a universal access point for users of on-demand accessible transportation service to request a trip. The service also aims to improve wait-times for passengers by increasing the industry’s accessible vehicle capacity and expanding service hours. The budget for the pilot is $1.8 million, and is being funded entirely through the existing accessibility surcharge on vehicle for hire trips.
Winnipeg WAV is scheduled to launch in fall 2021. For more information, please visit: http://winnipeg.ca/vehiclesforhire