Accessible Taxi for Oceanside

"See a need; fill a need."

You spoke; we listened:  "Oceanside needs more accessible transportation."  Community members signed petitions, the Parksville Measuring Up committee gave us their letter of support and we submitted an application for two Accessible Taxi Licences so that Oceanside Taxi could help meet this urgent need. 

On April 13, 2011 the Passenger Transportation Board denied the "Urgent Need" and disregarded the petitions that we based our application on.  They state that "urgent need" would have been justified if all other forms of accessible transportation in our community had shut down.  The Board also stated that petitions do not carry much weight in their decision-making. 

In denying "Urgent Need" the Board has begun a process where they seek out submissions from the community and other transportation services to help them make a decision to grant or deny our Accessible Taxi application.  Oceanside can still get an Accessible Taxi ... but it will take your individual support. 

We all know that Oceanside is underserviced for accessible transportation and the Passenger Transportation Board is giving us ten days to make a case for more accessible transportation.

Write us a letter and email or send it to us by April 26th and we will include it in our package. State that you DO want an Accessible Taxi in Oceanside and WHY you believe there is a need:

• Share your stories of how you, a client or a loved one needed an accessible vehicle but the current services were unable to help.
• Let the Passenger Transportation Board know you would take an Accessible Taxi if there was one.

Please call Mike at (250) 951-1271 if you have any questions. Thank you for your support and encouragement.

Michael Muelleder
Oceanside Taxi
3560 Columbine Rd
Qualicum Beach, BC
V9K 1V7

Local newspapers introduce Oceanside Taxi

Love the free press!   Check out these links from our local newspapers:

Oceanside Star (April 7, 2011)
New taxi company for fare Oceanside

PQB News (April 12, 2011)
New taxi company starts up in Oceanside

By the way, can anyone guess who "Bill" Muelleder is?

The night before launch and all through the house...

We're still awake.  Last minute details and a flurry of activity - oh, where did these last few weeks go? - as we get ready for the long-awaited Oceanside Taxi.  Launch day - April 7th - we will wake up, get the kids ready for school and look at each other to confirm that "it" is really happening.  We'll coordinate vehicles, last minute PTB paperwork and Drivers/Dispatchers so that - when Mike says "OK" - the phone will turn on and we will "magically" be in business.

None of this could have been done without the people we've been blessed to come to know.  The staff and administration at Nanaimo's AC Taxi (and Jay!), the mechanics and wiring geniuses at Top Lite, Nanaimo Autobody (last-minute magicians) and our ever-faithful Stanford Auto and Terminal Autobody friends  in Parksville.  Can't forget Jon at Signs, Banners and More in Coombs - the decals on the vehicles are AMAZING!

It's been an awesome challenge launching the new Oceanside Taxi service and we're just getting started.  Drivers are looking forward to getting out there and "playing" with all of the new mobile dispatching and debit/credit equipment and Dispatchers are hoping everything goes smoothly.  Thank you to all of you readers who are our new customers - your patience with any glitches will be appreciated and we hope you love our Drivers as much as we do.  The word is spreading and we are grateful for your encouragement and support.

More exciting news on the progress of our wheelchair accessible taxi application... coming soon!

Mike & Kirsten Muelleder