Int. No. 356
By Council Members Koppell, Liu, Gennaro, Mendez, Yassky, Brewer, Fidler, Foster, Gonzalez, James, Mark-Viverito, Recchia Jr., Sanders Jr. and Weprin
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to creating a Central Accessibility Dispatch System.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision b of section 19-508 of Chapter 5 of title 19 of the administrative code of the city of New York is hereby amended to read as follows:
b. The commission may permit or require the installation of radio or other equipment of specified types in licensed vehicles, [except] provided that the commission shall require that wheelchair accessible vans contain two-way radios where the owner employs a dispatcher, a number of portable or fixed seat belts equal to the maximum capacity of the van, safety ties sufficient to secure any wheelchair or wheelchairs which the van may at any given time be transporting and such other special equipment as the commission shall determine is necessary to insure the safe transportation of physically handicapped persons, provided further that the commission shall require that wheelchair accessible taxicabs and wheelchair accessible for-hire vehicles that participate in the central accessibility dispatch system established pursuant to § 19-521(b) of this code contain two-way radios. The commission shall require the use of a specified frequency for any radio used by licensed vehicles, said frequency to be assigned by the federal communications commission.
§2. Section 19-521 of chapter 5 of title 19 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended to read as follows:
§19-521 Central dispatcher services [at all major transit terminals].
a. The commission shall institute a plan for the industry relating to the establishment of a central dispatch system operating at all air terminals within the city of New York. Such a program shall be instituted at all such air terminals to provide service to any and all points in the five boroughs, and in such other locations as from time to time the commission shall deem necessary.
b. The commission shall institute a plan for the industry relating to the establishment of a central dispatch system for all wheelchair accessible taxicabs and wheelchair accessible for-hire vehicles. Such a program shall utilize the 311 citizen service center in order to enable the public to call such center to obtain the services of a wheelchair accessible vehicle.
1. The commission shall submit a report to the mayor and the city council every six months beginning on January 1, 2007 regarding the operation of the central dispatch system established pursuant to this subdivision. Such reports shall include but not be limited to: (i) the number of calls received, (ii) the date and time of each call received, (iii) the zip code and borough from which each call was received, (iv) the type of vehicle dispatched, (v) the zip code and borough from which each vehicle was dispatched, (vi) the length of time from when a call was received to when the dispatched vehicle picked up the passenger and (vii) any complaints received regarding the central dispatch system.
2. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the ability of a wheelchair accessible taxicab to pick-up street hails of any passenger as authorized pursuant to § 19-502 (l) of the this Code.
§3. This local law shall take effect one hundred and twenty days after the date of enactment, provided that the commissioners of the taxi and limousine commission and the department of information technology and telecommunication may promulgate any rules and take any other actions as shall be necessary for the timely implementation of this local law prior to such effective date.
MDP/LP
LS# 967
5/9/06 1:22 p.m.