Liu calls ‘Taxi of Tomorrow’ discriminatory against disabled
City Comptroller John C. Liu on Friday said he was rejecting the so-called “Taxi of Tomorrow” contract, writing to Mayor Bloomberg that the mini-vans may violate the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
“City Hall’s refusal to provide wheelchair-accessible cabs to people with disabilities is inexplicable and we believe it violates the ADA,” Liu said, pointing out that Superstorm Sandy showed that wheelchair access to taxis could sometimes be “life and death.”
Responding to Liu’s criticism, Mayor Bloomberg said on his weekly WOR radio show on Friday, “We can go ahead and do it anyways, which we will,” according to Bloomberg.com. The city charter allows the mayor to override objections to contracts.