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INUVIK - Inuvik residents with impaired mobility might have access to round-the-clock taxi service as early as this summer.

Several members of the local chapter of the NWT Council of Persons with Disabilities showed up to Monday's committee of the whole meeting to voice support for United Taxi owner Abdalla Mohamed's proposal to purchase a $40,000 wheelchair van.

Elizabeth Adams, whose son uses a wheelchair, voiced her support to town council on Monday for a taxi van specially-equipped to serve people with disabilities. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

Currently taxis in town aren't licenced to accept customers in wheelchairs.

In order for Mohamed to go through with the purchase, council would have to make a special bylaw where the town would issue the taxi licence to the company rather than to an individual driver. That way, Mohamed said the company could choose an appropriate driver for the service.

Councillors appeared receptive to the idea, and their questions ranged from scheduling to fare rates.

Mohamed said the van's customers would be charged a regular taxi fare. Normal hours of operation would be between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. but the company would accommodate travel after hours with advance booking.

The service is also designed to serve other disabled residents with disabilities in town. Mohamed said the van will be equipped with an automatic door and ramp and will have enough room to accommodate other people carrying crutches.

When the vehicle isn't serving customers with disabilities, it will pick up all other customers.

Mohamed said he's confident council will support his proposal and the service will be up and running by the start of summer.

He came up with the idea in part after discussions with the Inuvik NWT Council of Persons with Disabilities chapter. He said the need is there.

"I'm providing a necessary public service to everyone," he said.

Chapter member Elizabeth Adams spoke at the meeting, urging council to support the idea.

Her 19-year-old son Mark Orbell uses a wheelchair. She said an accessible taxi service is desperately needed and added her son has difficulty coping without regular, suitable transportation.

"Even just going grocery shopping for him is a real chore," she said. "He has to rely on family to transport him. We have to lift him in his wheel chair. We don't have a place where we can fix him to the floor with straps. He doesn't want his parents to drive him around. He wants to be with his buddies."

Because of circulation problems, Mark suffers acutely in severely cold temperatures. She said he's excited about the prospect of being able to get around the community more freely, adding it might allow him to land a job.

"That would give him a new outlook on life. He wouldn't feel different anymore," she said.

Chapter member Elizabeth Hamilton also attended the meeting. The senior has had knee replacement and back surgery and said she welcomes the prospect of such a vehicle with open arms.

Fellow member Patricia Davison also spoke in favour of the accessible vehicle at the meeting. She said without it, residents are being unfairly isolated.

"We're talking about elders, the people who have back issues for a couple of weeks and degenerative diseases," she said.

"Where are they? Especially in the winter months, you just don't see them out. This service enables them to be a true part our community. Without it they're not able to."