People with disabilities will no longer have to worry about London cabs charging them additional fees for rides.
An amendment to the city's vehicle for hire bylaw that recently went into effect states taxis, accessible cabs, and limousines cannot charge those with disabilities a higher fare or extra fees for the storage of their mobility aids.
"This regulation is already in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.... We have implemented it on the municipal level just to ensure this doesn't happen and so services are provided equally across the city," said Nicole Musicco, a municipal policy specialist with the City of London.
As part of the amended bylaw, all vehicles for hire are required to display a sticker that states additional fees can not be charged due to a person's disability. Cabbies who do not display the required sticker inside their vehicle or who charge higher fares to the disabled can be fined as a result.
"We do have a set of fines that are associated with any issues that may arise through vehicle for hire," said Musicco. "If there is a case where a member of the public has been charged or ends up being charged a higher fee or fare they should absolutely make sure they contact the city."
The vehicle for hire amendment does not apply to Uber drivers. Within London the ride-sharing service does not provide accessible vehicle for hire services.