Frustration over long wait times, lack of wheelchair accessible cabs in Calgary

Imagine going out for dinner and when you’re done, the cab you called hours ago hasn’t shown up.

That’s a reality for Calgarians who need wheelchair access like Al Kosciuk and his wife, who say getting a cab is becoming incredibly difficult in Calgary.

“I had booked three hours in advance, and they weren’t able to send me a car,” he said. “We tried to go for dinner on Wednesday at 5 in the afternoon and no cars showed up.

“They said I’m sorry, we’re not going to be able to help you.”

Kosciuk uses Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAV) Calgary, the city’s centralized call centre for wheelchair accessible vehicles.

He says during the day, grabbing a cab isn’t too much of a hassle, but it’s the evening hours when accessible cabs are few and far between.

Read more: E-scooters blocking Calgary sidewalks create accessibility problems

It seems this is a problem the city has recognized. WAV drivers are eligible for a $10 top up for a trip during the daytime, or $20 for a trip past 6 p.m.

But the extra money doesn’t seem to be enough to see a surge in accessible cabs. Feedback from the city’s pilot program saw drivers saying “the cost is still very high to maintain accessible vehicles. The incentive is not enough to maintain vehicles.”

And, “the vehicles are retiring or expiring from the fleet those drivers or holders can not afford to buy a new vehicle which cost around $50,000-plus.”

“If many more of these vehicles age out, people like us aren’t going to have the option,” Kosciuk said.

He says he spoke with a driver who said there used to be more than 100 accessible cabs in the city, but the number has steeply declined.

The City of Calgary says there are currently 52 accessible vehicles on the WAV Calgary platform and this number has remained steady since January 2022.

Kosciuk says he and his wife have limited their mobility and either get a takeout or go to a restaurant within walking distance. He is asking for the city to make improvements to the program for increased accessibility.