§ 59C-04 Specifications for Accessible For Hire Vehicles.
(a) An Accessible Vehicle may be approved if it meets the following conditions:
(1) It is a vehicle other than (i) a bus, (ii) a minibus, or (iii) a van, the chassis for which, as originally manufactured, is designed to seat eight or more persons.
(2) It is capable of transporting at least one passenger using a common wheelchair (as wheelchair is defined in C.F.R., Title 49, § 37.3).
(b) The chassis of the Accessible Vehicle, as originally manufactured, must have:
(1) A maximum horsepower of 290.
(2) The original equipment manufacturer’s suspension and steering components.
(3) No bumper modifications.
(4) Exception regarding bumpers: A bumper modified to allow installation of a rear-entry ramp may be approved if it satisfies either of the following:
(i) The rear bumper is reinforced.
(ii) The modification meets or exceeds Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards crash testing requirements.
(iii) Any rear door lock modifications must meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and the lock must be attached to the chassis, not the ramp, unless a secondary lock is attached to the chassis.
(iv) The modifier must retain an engineer with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with at least 3 years of experience in automotive manufacturing to certify that each vehicle was modified using the design tested to meet or exceed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
(v) Separate certification for each vehicle must be presented when the vehicle is submitted to TLC as a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle.
(c) The Accessible Vehicle as manufactured by the original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) or as modified by a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)-registered second-stage manufacturer (or vehicle modifier), must meet all applicable Americans with Disability Act specifications as required for Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles, as well as the following specifications:
(1) The minimum ground clearance (measured from frame, loaded to gross vehicle weight rating) must be 5 inches.
(2) (i) The passenger compartment length (measured from rear of driver’s seat base to rear seat base) must be not less than 56 inches.
(ii) Exception: For an Accessible Vehicle designed to carry a Passenger using a wheelchair in the front right position beside the Driver, the passenger compartment length must be not less than 38 inches.
(3) The rear compartment of any vehicle approved for use as an Accessible Vehicle Model must meet the following dimensions as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers:
(i) Effective legroom (L51) must be at least 34.6 inches.
(4) The front compartment of any vehicle approved for use as an Accessible Vehicle Model must meet the following dimensions:
(i) Effective legroom (L34) must be at least 40 inches.
(5) Total legroom (the sum of L34 and L51) must be at least 74.6 inches.
(6) Where a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle is modified using a side entry conversion, the original floor of the Accessible Vehicle, if lowered, must be lowered from the base of the firewall to the area immediately in front of the rear axle.
(7) If a lowered floor assembly is used in the process of converting a vehicle to a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle, the lowered floor must be stainless steel (16 gauge minimum) or the equivalent.
(8) Sound-deadening material must be applied over the lowered metal floor and thoroughly secured.
(9) The wheelchair ramp must not obstruct the drivers’ rearview sight while in the stowed position.
(10) The system provided to securely hold one or more wheelchairs in place must be the system known as Q straint QRT Standard or, if an alternative system, it must meet or exceed the Q straint QRT Standard.
(11) No anchor points may project more than 1/8 of an inch above the finished floor.
(12) If the Accessible Vehicle has a middle fold-up passenger seat, it must have a folding mechanism and base plate and must meet the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 207, C.F.R., Title 49, and § 571.207.
(13) Any modifications to the rear air conditioning must be approved by the OEM.
(14) Any and all electrical wiring, other than as provided by the OEM, must be PVC-or-better insulated and color-coded for positive identification.
(15) The back-up alarm must be an electrically operated device that produces an intermittent audible signal when the Accessible Vehicle’s transmission is shifted into reverse.
(16) The converted vehicle must be purchased from the same converter which has manufactured the necessary parts/components and provided the labor to convert the vehicle.
(17) Conversion of a vehicle with a salvage title certificate, as identified by a relevant State Department of Motor Vehicles, is prohibited.
(18) All approved Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles, whether modified or not, must meet all applicable federal and state emissions requirements and standards.
(Added City Record 6/20/2024, eff. 7/20/2024; amended City Record 9/25/2025, eff. 10/25/2025)
