During her tenure as Taxi and Limousine Chair, Meera Joshi kept her door open to the disability community and, in time, pushed for more wheelchair-accessibility in the face of fierce opposition from Uber, other for-hire providers and reticent officials.

Joshi oversaw the implementation of Taxis For All v. New York City Taxis and Limousine Commission, a landmark federal settlement requiring 50% of all yellow taxis to be wheelchair-accessible by 2020. After years of delay from the City, she also won passage of new rules to require for-hire vehicle companies like Uber, Lyft and local car services to start providing accessible service.

Recently, Chair Joshi also took a stand against the implementation of congestion-pricing rules that unfairly single out yellow taxi operators and severely jeopardize the advances our community has made.

Unfortunately, there is a great deal more work to be done. Because of unchallenged competition from Uber, yellow taxis are not near the 50% accessibility requirement and will not meet it in 2020. And rules to mandate limited FHV accessibility must be strengthened and enforced.

Meera Joshi’s record shows that an active TLC chair can further the right of all New Yorkers to travel by taxi and for-hire vehicles. Her successor must extend and advance that basic civil right.

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Taxis For All Campaign members include Bronx Independent Living Services • Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled • Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York • Disabled In Action of Metropolitan New York • Disabilities Network of New York City • Harlem Independent Living Center • United Spinal Association • VetsFirst • 504 Democratic Club

For more information, contact Joe Rappaport at 646-284-1078.