The taxicabs' growing competition with ride-sharing companies Lyft and Uber has pushed the sector of the public transportation industry to improve its customer service, Tech Times reported.
The latest improvement that taxis plan to unleash is to increase the number of vehicles that are wheelchair-accessible.
According to the D.C. Taxicab Commission, it plans to unveil 65 cabs in Washington that will cater to passengers in wheelchairs by Oct. 1 of this year. This number could double during the second year of the program if it becomes a success.
Currently, wheelchair-ridden passengers have to rely on MetroAccess vans for their public transportation needs. For the commission's program, they have made a deal with Metro to convert the vans into private taxicabs.
This means the passengers in wheelchairs will not have to share the van with other passengers, according to the commission's chairman Ron Linton, according to WAMU.
"People who need this service will only have to reserve a vehicle one hour in advance in order to get a ride," Linton said. "And they will only be using the vehicle themselves or with whoever is helping them or accompanying them."
"They will not have to share a van with three or four other people and make a number of stops between where they are picked up and where they get dropped off," he added.
Similarly, New York's Taxi and Limousine Commission recently announced a similar program to increase the number of its wheelchair-ready vehicles, NY Daily News reported.
In addition, the D.C. commission is also planning on mimicking the messaging feature of Uber and Lyft. Through text messages, groups can contact taxi providers for their transportation needs
Previously, cab drivers only relied on newspaper articles and word of mouth to learn about events with large gatherings. If the text messaging system pushes through, they'll be able to offer their services to large groups more effectively.
"What we are hearing not frequently is that after the end of a big banquet or other event, there may be a couple of hundred people ready to go home but only 10 or 15 cabs," Linton said.
Since the improvements were brought about by the popularity of Lyft and Uber, more public transportation groups will follow the trend and improve their services.