♿ Passenger safety, service and accessibility

1. What is the basic service obligation of an available licensed driver?

1. To carry the passenger only if the fare is agreed in advance
2. To carry the passenger only where the traffic is moving freely
3. To carry the passenger only within the borough of the pick-up
4. To carry the passenger to any lawful destination in the service area

Everything else in the service rules is a detail of this one obligation. Source: 35 RCNY Chapter 80, refusal of service.

2. Which of these is a proper reason to end a trip early?

1. The passenger is threatening the driver
2. The passenger is going further than the driver expected
3. The passenger is paying by card rather than in cash
4. The passenger has asked the driver to change the route

Personal safety is the recognised limit on the duty to carry, and nothing on the list beside it is. Source: 35 RCNY Chapter 80, refusal of service.

3. How should a driver treat a passenger who is rude but not threatening?

1. By ending the trip at the next corner
2. Courteously, and complete the trip
3. By responding in the same manner
4. By demanding payment before continuing

Courtesy is a rule rather than a preference, and the tribunal does not weigh who started it. Source: 35 RCNY Chapter 80, driver conduct.

4. Which passengers are entitled to the same service as everybody else?

1. Only passengers travelling alone
2. Only passengers travelling within the city
3. Only passengers who can pay by card
4. All passengers, without distinction

The rule admits no category of person who may lawfully be served less well. Source: New York City Human Rights Law and 35 RCNY Chapter 80.

5. A driver serves a passenger politely but takes a deliberately long route. How is that treated?

1. As acceptable, because the passenger was treated well
2. As an overcharge, whatever the manner of the driver
3. As a matter for the base rather than the Commission
4. As acceptable if the passenger did not object at the time

Courtesy and honesty are separate obligations and one does not excuse a failure in the other. Source: 35 RCNY Chapter 80, fares and overcharging.

6. What should a driver do if he cannot complete a trip because of a mechanical failure?

1. Refuse to discuss the fare until the vehicle has been repaired
2. Charge the full fare and leave the passenger where the vehicle stopped
3. Continue driving slowly until the destination is reached
4. Help the passenger find another vehicle and charge fairly

Leaving a passenger stranded turns a mechanical problem into a service complaint. Source: 35 RCNY Chapter 80, driver conduct.

7. How should a driver respond to a passenger who asks for the air conditioning to be turned on?

1. Turn it on for an additional charge on the fare
2. Explain that the equipment is for the driver's use
3. Turn it on, since the passenger controls the cabin
4. Turn it on only when the trip is long enough

The Passenger Bill of Rights gives the passenger control of the temperature and the radio. Source: 35 RCNY, taxicab passenger information.

8. What does the Passenger Bill of Rights say about the route?

1. The base decides the route before the trip begins
2. The driver alone chooses the route in every case
3. The passenger may direct the route to be taken
4. The route must always be the shortest in distance

The passenger's right to choose the route is the counterpart of the driver's duty not to detour. Source: 35 RCNY, taxicab passenger information.

9. A passenger asks the driver not to speak during the trip. What is the correct response?

1. Explain that conversation is part of the service
2. Respect the request quietly
3. Ask the reason before agreeing to the request
4. Continue talking but more softly than before

Passengers are entitled to a quiet trip, and the request costs the driver nothing. Source: 35 RCNY, taxicab passenger information.

10. What must a driver do when a passenger with a disability is accompanied by a service animal?

1. Carry both, with a cleaning charge added
2. Carry both, at no additional charge
3. Carry the passenger and refuse the animal
4. Carry both only if the animal is muzzled

Refusing a service animal is refusing the passenger, and it is treated that way. Source: Americans with Disabilities Act, Title III.

11. What is a service animal under the Americans with Disabilities Act?

1. Any animal registered with a national service animal body
2. Any animal that provides comfort to a person with a disability
3. Any animal wearing a harness or a coloured vest
4. A dog trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability

The definition turns on training for a task rather than on comfort or on paperwork. Source: Americans with Disabilities Act, Title III.

12. Which two questions may a driver ask about a service animal?

1. Whether the animal is insured, and whether it has been vaccinated
2. Whether it is registered, and which organisation trained it
3. What the passenger's disability is, and how long it has lasted
4. Whether it is required because of a disability, and what task it performs

Anything beyond those two questions crosses into territory the law puts out of bounds. Source: Americans with Disabilities Act, Title III.

13. May a driver ask a passenger to produce documentation for a service animal?

1. Yes, if the animal is not visibly trained
2. Yes, a certificate must be shown on request
3. No, documentation may not be required
4. Yes, for trips longer than half an hour

There is no official register, so demanding papers is a demand nobody can meet. Source: Americans with Disabilities Act, Title III.

14. A driver is allergic to dogs and a passenger arrives with a guide dog. What is the position?

1. The driver may refuse if he shows a medical note
2. The driver may refuse and call another vehicle
3. The animal must still be carried
4. The driver may carry the animal in the boot instead

The obligation is on the service rather than on the individual's comfort, and there is no medical exception. Source: Americans with Disabilities Act, Title III.

15. Is an emotional support animal the same thing as a service animal under the Act?

1. Yes, provided a doctor has written a letter
2. Yes, the two terms mean exactly the same thing
3. No, the Act covers animals trained to perform a task
4. No, but the driver must carry it in every case

The distinction matters because the obligations attached to each are different. Source: Americans with Disabilities Act, Title III.

16. When may a service animal lawfully be excluded?

1. When another passenger objects to its presence
2. When it is out of control and the handler does not act
3. When the trip is longer than half an hour
4. When the vehicle has been recently cleaned

The narrow exception concerns behaviour, not the driver's or another passenger's preference. Source: Americans with Disabilities Act, Title III.

17. Where should a service animal travel in the vehicle?

1. On the front seat beside the driver
2. In the boot, secured for the journey
3. With its handler, in the passenger compartment
4. Outside the vehicle is not permitted at all

Separating the animal from the handler defeats the purpose the animal is trained for. Source: Americans with Disabilities Act, Title III.

18. May a driver charge a cleaning fee in advance because a service animal will travel?

1. Yes, a fixed amount agreed before the trip
2. No, no additional charge may be imposed
3. Yes, if the animal is large or long-haired
4. Yes, if the vehicle was cleaned that morning

A surcharge for the animal is a surcharge for the disability, which is exactly what the law forbids. Source: Americans with Disabilities Act, Title III.

19. How should a driver offer help to a passenger who is blind?

1. Wait silently until help is requested directly
2. Take the passenger by the arm and guide him
3. Ask first, then offer an arm if help is wanted
4. Ask another passer-by to assist instead

Asking before touching is the rule in every disability guidance document there is. Source: TLC driver education curriculum on accessibility.

20. How should a driver communicate with a passenger who is deaf?

1. By telephoning the base to arrange an interpreter
2. By speaking more loudly and more slowly
3. Through another passenger travelling with him
4. In writing, or by any method the passenger prefers

A written address on paper or on a screen settles the destination in seconds. Source: TLC driver education curriculum on accessibility.

21. How should a driver address a passenger who uses a wheelchair?

1. In a louder voice than usual for clarity
2. Through the companion travelling with him
3. Directly, as he would address any other passenger
4. Only after the wheelchair has been secured

Speaking to the companion rather than the passenger is the most common small indignity in the trade. Source: TLC driver education curriculum on accessibility.

22. A passenger's wheelchair is heavy and the driver is unsure how to fold it. What should he do?

1. Refuse the trip on safety grounds
2. Ask the passenger how it folds
3. Force it into the boot as it is
4. Ask another driver to take the trip

The passenger knows the equipment better than anybody, and asking is both safe and respectful. Source: TLC driver education curriculum on accessibility.

23. May a driver refuse a passenger because loading a folding wheelchair takes extra time?

1. Yes, if an extra charge is refused
2. Yes, if other passengers are waiting
3. Yes, if the vehicle is due back at the garage
4. No, the extra time is part of the service

Time is not one of the lawful grounds for refusal, and this refusal is also a disability complaint. Source: Americans with Disabilities Act and 35 RCNY Chapter 80.

24. May a driver lift a passenger out of a wheelchair without being asked?

1. Yes, if the passenger appears to be struggling
2. Yes, if it will speed up the boarding
3. No, never without the passenger's consent
4. Yes, if a companion asks the driver to do so

Lifting a person without consent risks injury to both and is an assault in the wrong circumstances. Source: TLC driver education curriculum on accessibility.

25. What is the right way to speak about a passenger who uses a wheelchair?

1. As an assisted passenger in the trip data
2. As a person confined to a wheelchair
3. As a wheelchair case for the record
4. As a person who uses a wheelchair

Person-first language is the standard used in the training material and in the law itself. Source: TLC driver education curriculum on accessibility.

26. What is the defining feature of a wheelchair accessible vehicle?

1. A ramp or a lift for boarding
2. A larger boot for folding wheelchairs
3. A lower fare for passengers with disabilities
4. A partition removed for extra space

The vehicle is built so that a passenger can enter without leaving the chair. Source: 35 RCNY, wheelchair accessible vehicle requirements.

27. What secures the wheelchair itself inside the vehicle?

1. The passenger holding a grab handle
2. The occupant's own lap and shoulder belt
3. The wheelchair's parking brakes alone
4. A four-point securement system anchored to the floor

Four straps hold the chair to the vehicle so that it cannot move in a sudden stop. Source: 35 RCNY, wheelchair accessible vehicle requirements.

28. What secures the passenger inside the wheelchair?

1. Nothing further is required
2. The four securement straps themselves
3. The wheelchair's own seat strap
4. A separate lap and shoulder belt

Securing the chair and securing the person are two different jobs and both must be done. Source: 35 RCNY, wheelchair accessible vehicle requirements.

29. A driver secures the wheelchair but not the passenger. What is wrong?

1. The trip record will show an incomplete boarding
2. Nothing, since the chair holds the passenger
3. The chair may roll if the straps are loose
4. The passenger is unrestrained in a collision

The wheelchair's own belt is designed for posture rather than for crash forces. Source: 35 RCNY, wheelchair accessible vehicle requirements.

30. Which way should a wheelchair normally face when secured for travel?

1. Whichever way the passenger finds comfortable
2. Sideways, across the vehicle
3. Backwards, facing the rear window
4. Forward, in the direction of travel

Forward-facing securement is what the anchorage system in a taxicab is designed for. Source: 35 RCNY, wheelchair accessible vehicle requirements.

31. What should a driver check before deploying a ramp?

1. That the passenger has paid the fare in advance
2. That the ground is level and clear of obstruction
3. That the meter has been started for the trip
4. That another vehicle is not waiting behind

A ramp deployed onto a kerb edge or a grating is how boarding injuries happen. Source: TLC wheelchair accessible vehicle training.

32. Where should a driver stop to deploy a ramp?

1. At the kerb, away from moving traffic
2. In the traffic lane beside the destination
3. On a pedestrian crossing for level ground
4. In a bus lane where there is more space

Deploying into a live traffic lane exposes the passenger at the most vulnerable moment of the trip. Source: TLC wheelchair accessible vehicle training.

33. What should the driver do with the engine and brakes while boarding a wheelchair user?

1. Switch off the vehicle and leave the doors open
2. Keep the vehicle in gear ready to move away
3. Leave the vehicle in neutral without the brake
4. Apply the parking brake and keep the vehicle still

An unbraked vehicle moving during boarding is the worst outcome the procedure exists to prevent. Source: TLC wheelchair accessible vehicle training.

34. A ramp will not deploy properly. What should the driver do?

1. Not attempt the boarding and arrange another vehicle
2. Deploy it by hand and continue with the boarding
3. Ask the passenger to board without the ramp
4. Board the passenger and report the fault later

A partly deployed ramp will take a wheelchair's weight until it does not. Source: TLC wheelchair accessible vehicle training.

35. How often should the securement equipment be checked?

1. Once a month by the vehicle owner
2. Before each shift and before each use
3. Only at the scheduled inspection
4. Only when a passenger reports a problem

Straps fray and buckles fail, and the check takes less than a minute. Source: TLC wheelchair accessible vehicle training.