More than a dozen wheelchair-accessible taxis have rolled out on the streets of D.C.
People who use wheelchairs say hailing a taxi can be challenging and even humiliating. They sometimes have to ride in the trunk area of taxis converted to be accessible.
D.C.’s with new MV1s are built for that purpose.
Kristina Rhoades has never been able to walk after she was hurt by her biological father and suffered a spinal cord injury at 10 months old.
“I've been in situations -- dressed to the nines, feeling my best -- then I have to get into the trunk of a taxi to get to the event,” she said.
Rhoades is with Mobility Ventures, which is helping make wheelchair-accessible taxis a reality in cities across the country.
Hundreds of thousands in grants through the D.C. Taxicab Commission helped make the program happen in the district. You can hail an MV1 to take you anywhere in the city for $5.
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Drivers who want to operate MV1s are going through free training, including how to safely buckle in the passenger and wheelchair. They also receive sensitivity training.
