The regulation of ride service companies like Uber, Sidecar and Lift has taken up much of the Seattle City Council's agenda the past few months and in a surprising twist, people with MS now stand to benefit from the discussions. The City Council first passed some regulations in March only to see them overturned amid opposition from ride service advocates. In the resulting negotiations, individuals with MS and others who need accessible taxis won big, as a new surcharge on ride service companies will put more accessible taxis on the road.
A great article from the Seattle Times lays out the details. While it may take some time before we see if the law works as intended, it's great to see that Seattle's elected officials are responsive to the particular needs of people with physical disabilities. This may stem from Seattle Mayor Ed Murray's time in the legislature where, at the request of MS Activists and other disability advocates, he was often supportive of efforts to make the state more accessible.
If you live in Seattle, what's your experience with accessible taxis? Are they easy to find? Responsive? We'd love to know your experience.
