This paper describes how public transportation of disabled persons by taxicab was unheard of a few years ago in the Province of Quebec because taxicab drivers were avoiding them. However, in 1982 the situation changed. The Transport Adapted du Quebec Metro Inc., (T.A.Q.M.) a subsidiary of the Quebec City Transit Commission, introduced the use of taxicabs for providing transportation for the disabled. The introduction of taxicabs resulted in improvements of both services and costs and include: (1) an increased number of vehicles available; (2) the advanced reservation notice was reduced from twenty-four hours to eight hours; (3) the passengerÆs average travel time was reduced; (4) important hour changes imposed to the user were minimized; (5) transportation impossibilities were brought down to zero for the past years; (6) the user is traveling throughout the city with greaterease; and (7) the dispatchers benefit from improved flexibility in assisting trips.
Samenvatting