(a) The Internet-enabled application or digital platform used by a licensee to connect drivers and passengers shall be accessible to customers who are blind, visually impaired, deaf and hard of hearing.
(b) Such application or platform shall provide customers with an opportunity to indicate whether they require a wheelchair-accessible transportation network vehicle. Licensees shall provide service to customers who require a wheelchair-accessible transportation network vehicle either by: (1) connecting such customers with the licensee's drivers who operate wheelchair-accessible transportation network vehicles; or (2) entering into a service agreement with other persons that dispatch wheelchair-accessible vehicles in order to dispatch such vehicles through the licensee's application or platform. Subsection (a) of Section 9-115-100 shall not be construed to prohibit licensees from entering into a service agreement with persons that dispatch wheelchair-accessible transportation vehicles as provided in this subsection. Such application or platform shall allow customers to designate whether or not they need a wheelchair-accessible transportation network vehicle in setting their customer's profile with the licensee. In addition, if such application or digital platform allows drivers to rate their passengers, licensees shall train their drivers not to discriminate against people with disabilities in their passenger ratings. It shall be a violation of this chapter for a driver to rate a passenger based upon a disability.
(c) (1) Each licensee shall, within 6 months from the effective date of this amendatory ordinance of 2016, submit to the commissioner a plan to enhance service to customers with disabilities, and, if such plan is approved by the commissioner, the licensee shall execute such plan within 6 months from the date of approval of the plan.
(2) The commissioner is authorized to launch a taxi fare subsidy program to subsidize the cost of a wheelchair-accessible vehicle taxi ride by a person with a disability when such ride is arranged through any Internet-enabled application or digital platform for the provision of prearranged ride services by taxicabs.
(3) Failure of a licensee to submit a plan to enhance service to customers with disabilities within 6 months from the effective date of this amendatory ordinance of 2016, or to implement said plan within 6 months from the date of approval of same, shall result in a fine of $10,000 per day, per licensee.
(d) In addition to the inspection requirements specified in Section 9-115-110, wheelchair-accessible vehicles shall be inspected by the city for compliance with legally required safety standards before such vehicles are used as wheelchair-accessible transportation network vehicles.
(e) In addition to the fees specified in Section 9-115-040, as part of the license issuance or renewal fee, a transportation network provider licensee shall pay $0.10 per vehicle per ride accepted to the city's accessibility fund for each transportation network vehicle registered with the licensee which is not a wheelchair-accessible transportation network vehicle. The licensee may pay the fee provided in this subsection at the same time as the licensee remits the ground transportation tax the licensee collects pursuant to Chapter 3-46 of this Code. Only for purposes of this subsection, "ride accepted" means any ride where passengers are either picked up or dropped off in the city, or both.
(f) For purposes of this section, the term "accessibility fund" has the meaning ascribed to that term in Section 9-112-010. The maximum amount of reimbursement per taxicab vehicle from the fund, and the conditions of reimbursement and the maximum amount of reimbursement per a transportation network vehicle from the fund shall be established by rules, in consultation with, among other individuals as the Commissioner may determine, representatives from the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, the community of people with disabilities, the taxi industry, and the transportation network providers industry.
(Added Coun. J. 5-28-14, p. 82771, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 10-28-15, p. 12062, Art. XI, § 5; Amend Coun. J. 6-22-16, p. 27771, § 6; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61755, Art. X, § 2)