New York City officials have chosen three taxi designs finalists to supply taxis to the city for at least ten years.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) Chairman David Yassky announced the winners November 15. The finalists are Ford Motor Company, Karsan USA and Nissan North America, Inc. City officials expect to choose a final winner in early 2011, and will work with the manufacturer to build a custom designed vehicle known as the Taxi of Tomorrow.
City officials have made it a goal to design an accessible vehicle for people with disabilities, but have not committed to requiring that the new car be accessible.
Allan Fromberg, deputy commissioner for public affairs at the TLC, said, “Yes, accessibility unequivocally remains a goal, but we are not yet at the ‘home stretch’ of this project and are, at this moment, still collecting feedback from the public about what they want to see in their Taxi of Tomorrow before we go to the ‘best and final’ offer stage with the three leading contenders, so chances are we have not yet seen what the final proposals will be and look like.”
Marvin Wasserman, executive director of the Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled, said the City’s decision about whether to design an accessible vehicle will have a significant impact on the city and the world.
“I'm glad that the Karsan was one of the finalists. However, I'm disappointed that full wheelchair access is not a determining factor in the selection of the Taxi of Tomorrow,” Wasserman said.
“The winning bid will be the ‘iconic’ taxi of New York City, and will influence the utilization of taxi vehicles in cities throughout the United States and the world. It is vitally important that it be the Karsan. It will bring us to a 100% wheelchair accessible fleet within the foreseeable future,” he added.
The TLC chose the finalists “in cooperation with the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities,” according to a press release.
City officials are inviting input from residents here, where New Yorkers can vote for the features they would like to see in a taxi, such as better entertainment options, a sun roof or lights to alert other drivers that a taxi door is opening. The Taxi of Tomorrow marks the first time the City will work directly with the auto industry to design a taxi.
City officials have made several statements indicating their interest in making the vehicle accessible. According to the City’s press release, “The project seeks to build a taxicab that is safe, fuel-efficient, accessible, durable, and comfortable.”
“This project is about much more than getting from point A to point B - the Design Trust and Taxi and Limousine Commission are pioneering an accessible, sustainable, beautiful taxi that New Yorkers deserve,” said Design Trust for Public Space Executive Director Deborah Marton.
The Taxi of Tomorrow Stakeholder Committee was formed in 2007, and a Request for Proposals was issued in December 2009. The City plans to have the new taxis in service by the fall of 2014. The complete turnover of the fleet will take place gradually, as taxis are retired after three to five years.
There are currently more than 13,000 taxis in operation in New York City.
This article was published in the January 2011 issue of Able News.
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