Local taxi service caters to wheelchair users 24/7
By Jennifer L. Boen
of The News-Sentinel
For the first time in her adult life, Susan Izdepski does not have to plan work hours, social activities and even church attendance around the times when transportation that can accommodate her wheelchair is available.
On Friday, she took advantage of Fort Wayne's new wheelchair-accessible taxi service. It is the first time such a service operating 24/7, 365 days a year became available in Fort Wayne.
“We're not in Chicago. This is happening here in Fort Wayne,” said Betsy Kachmar, Citilink assistant general manager, at a news conference to unveil the service. Citilink is partnering with Community Transportation Network and Deluxe Taxi to offer the service.
Citilink sold to Deluxe Taxi two of its vans that are outfitted with ramps so people in a wheelchair can roll right in. The vans were formerly used by supervisors and had been replaced with new vehicles. Deluxe, in turn, is reimbursing Citilink for the cost of the vans through a voucher system offered to local social-service agencies. The vouchers come in $5 increments.
Although the two vans can be used by anyone in need of accessible transportation, individuals identified by agencies who need financial assistance to cover the cost of the taxi can use the voucher, which are distributed by the nonprofit CTN.
Deluxe is charging its normal taxi fee for the accessible van, and in about a year, Deluxe General Manager Dave Burian said both vans are expected to be paid off with the voucher system.
Citilink has accessible buses and also operates the Access service, curbside service for riders with disabilities. But both those services run 6 a.m.-9 p.m.
This service opens many doors for Izdepski, who has cerebral palsy. She works in the call center at Centennial Wireless in Fort Wayne, which runs around the clock.
“I work part time now because of the bus schedule,” she said. The new service will also give her the opportunity to attend church.
“I haven't been to church in four years,” she said, noting in the past, if she needed to go to the hospital in the middle of the night, “I had to get people up at 2 or 3 in the morning.”
Becky Weimerskirch, executive director of CTN, said other community transportation programs and options are in the works.
“We're breaking new ground here in Fort Wayne to bring accessible taxi services,” she said. After the vouchers are used up, the coalition will be looking at other means of helping low-income people afford the service.
Although Deluxe expects most trips to be within the city limits, “We'll take people wherever they want to go,” Burian said.
