Berks County Taxi Companies Agree to Provide Equal Access to their Taxi Services to Reading Resident Who Uses a Wheelchair to Resolve Lawsuit Brought by DRP

A federal judge approved a settlement agreement resolving an Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuit brought by Disability Rights Pennsylvania on behalf of Berks County resident Steven Schelling against Reading Metro Taxi Cab, Inc., Reading Checker Cab, Inc. and Reading Yellow Cab, Inc. These taxi companies have agreed to stop charging Mr. Schelling, who uses a wheelchair due to mobility impairments, higher fees for the use of their wheelchair accessible vehicles than those charged to other passengers for the use of non-accessible taxicabs.  In addition, these taxi companies have agreed to install taximeters that calculate fares according to the same system utilized in other taxis in two of their wheelchair accessible vehicles.  These changes ensure that Mr. Schelling will now have full and equal access to these companies’ taxi services.

The lawsuit is captioned Schelling v. Reading Metro Taxi Cab, Inc., et al. (Civ. A. No. 16-6585 E.D. Pa.).