Page 10 - Desert Oracle June 2020

"But they would need to waive that for people with disabilities who have a service animal,'' Daly-Rooney

said.

In agreeing to the settlement, she said, Total Transit did not admit that they had done anything improper

but simply agreed to drop the fee. Daly-Rooney said eliminating the fee -- $20 for any round trip -- is an

important victory for those with disabilities.

"It really minimized the amount of times people could take a taxi,'' she said. "Taxis can be convenient

compared to paratransit (shared-ride services) and some other forms of transportation.''

Bill Stokes, one of the plaintiffs, said in a prepared statement that eliminating the charge makes a
difference to those who need accessible vans.

"Ending the $10 fee adds up to more trips to go out and enjoy a good meal, go to the barbershop, or catch

a movie with your family and friends,'' he said in a prepared statement.

Daly-Rooney said there are other taxi and transit companies that are still charging additional fees.

"We hope that this settlement may lead others to voluntarily drop their fees,'' she said, saying her

organization will now be reaching out to them asking that they take similar action.

That was also the sentiment expressed by Peter Quinn, executive director of the Paralyzed Veterans

Association whose organization serves military veterans who endure injuries and diseases of the spinal
cord.

"We hope that other retail taxi services will follow TTI's move and end similar fees,'' he said in his own

statement.