SAFE. RELIABLE. ACCESSIBLE. SERVICE.
Mobility Mandate
The KATC is committed to a barrier-free community, ensuring access for all transportation services by providing accessible transit services to all residents. In keeping with this mandate, the Kingston Area Taxi
Commission (KATC) has partnered with the City of Kingston to provide accessible transit services.
You can find more details of operation and how to apply for the service below.
613-547-3763.
atp@katc.caBookings or Cancellations
To discover more information about how to book or cancel accessible transit rides, please review the tabs below:
Registered clients may book an accessible taxi trip up to 30 days in advance. Same day reservations are also accommodated, based on availability. All bookings are made on a “first come, first served” basis, based on availability.
To book a taxi reservation call: 613-547-3763 and follow the prompts to reach the accessible taxi broker.
- When booking, please provide the date & time of your reservation, the type of mobility device you will be using and if companions, service animal or domestic pet will be riding with you.
- If you are attending an appointment, also provide your appointment time to ensure sufficient time is factored into your pick-up time.
Passengers travelling to locations with multiple entrances are requested to provide the exact drop-off/pick-up location, at the time of booking.
Please also schedule your return trip, if necessary.
We endeavour to accommodate all trips, there may be times when we will not be able to meet your requests. KATC does maintain a wait list in the event an opening becomes available.
Passengers are to be ready 5 minutes before their booked pick-up time. Drivers may arrive within a “window” of 5 minutes BEFORE or AFTER your booked pick-up time. To ensure other passengers are not inconvenienced, drivers are not required to wait more than 15 minutes for passengers provided they arrive within the “window” time.
To accommodate as many trips as possible, passengers need to provide as much notice as possible when cancelling a trip so that we may attempt to accommodate other passengers.
Excessive cancellations with less than 24-hour notice and/or failing to show for a scheduled booking may result in progressive actions up to and including limitations on booking privileges.
Should you fail to cancel your reservation before our driver arrives, the incident will be recorded. Passengers who fail to provide notification of cancellation several times will have their eligibility reviewed and could face discontinuation of service.
Operations
Our vehicles come equipped with seatbelts and wheelchair restraint systems. For the safety of everyone involved we require that passengers must make use of the safety belts and restraint systems provided.
Passengers shall be able to book a 762mm (30 inches) or 838mm (33 inches) wheelchair accessible van.
In the interests of safety, all mobility devices must be in good condition. Otherwise, transportation will not be provided.
In the best interests of your safety, if you ride a scooter, you will be required to transfer to a seat in the van for the duration of the trip. To be transportable your scooter must be able to be loaded and safely secured within the vehicle.
Groceries, parcels, and other small items may be brought with you on the transit service. Drivers may assist with carrying personal items to/from or on/off the accessible vehicle, if requested. Any fees applicable to this service are the responsibility of the passenger.
The accessible transit service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Rules for Using Accessible Transit
The Kingston Area Taxi Commission reserves the right to require ambulatory passengers who are unsteady or cannot ambulate to/ from the vehicle in reasonable time to use a wheelchair for transportation. The passenger is responsible for providing a wheelchair to use.
KATC drivers will assist passengers with safely entering and exiting the vehicle. Passengers are to be ready at the exterior door with coats, boots, etc. already on.
It is the responsibility of the passenger to ensure that laneways, driveways, ramps, etc. of residences (including multi-residence apartment units) are maintained in safe condition and clear of snow/ice. Failure to do so may result in transportation being denied.
Personal items (i.e. luggage, parcels, groceries) are limited to those which the passenger, support person, or companion can handle without assistance from the driver and be safely secured by the passenger.
Drivers may assist with carrying personal items to/from or on/off the accessible vehicle, if requested. Any fees applicable to this service is the responsibility of the passenger.
Passengers travelling with a service animal or domestic pet must advise at the time of booking. Domestic pets are permitted and must be leashed or in a carrier.
Verbal abuse, physical abuse, or unacceptable behaviour on the part of passengers, those travelling with passengers, or those responsible for passengers, towards the KATC staff, taxi company staff, and drivers will not be tolerated and may result in suspension of registration and police being notified.
Additional Links
Registration Information
Eligibility
To become a registered passenger of the KATC’s Kingston Accessible Transit Pass Program (KATP), a person must:
Be a resident of the City of Kingston AND have a disability (or medical conditions) as per the integrated Accessibility Standard (Ont. Reg. 191/11) and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2005 (A.O.D.A) which prevents the person from using conventional fixed-route transit services offered by the City of Kingston through Kingston Transit.
Eligibility for KATC’s Kingston Accessible Transit Pass Program (KATP) is considered on a case-by-case basis and is based solely on the applicant’s disabilities and medical conditions preventing them from using Kingston Transit services
Age, or a specific health condition.
Loss of driver’s license, inability to drive, or not having a personal vehicle.
Kingston Transit services not being offered in the area of the applicant’s pick-up/drop-off locations (e.g., rural areas of the City of Kingston), lack of sidewalks in area, unwillingness and/or reluctance to use Kingston Transit services.
Financial need including inability to pay for taxis (please note: ODSP recipients are not automatically eligible for specialized transit services).
Some applicants may only be eligible for service during certain periods of the year.
Passengers whose disabilities or medical conditions require specific transportation (e.g., extreme fragility requiring transportation below regular speeds or inability to remain on the vehicle for up to 1 hour) need to contact a non-emergency medical carrier for transportation.
The KATC’s Accessible Transportation offers three categories of eligibility consistent with the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR O. Reg 191/11) and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) 2005.
- Unconditional Eligibility – Applicant has a disability which prevents them from using Kingston Transit services on a permanent basis.
- Temporary Eligibility – Applicant has a temporary disability (e.g., broken leg) that prevents them from using Kingston Transit services for a defined period.
- Conditional Eligibility – Applicant has a disability where environmental or physical barriers limit their ability to consistently use Kingston Transit services. An applicant who qualifies for conditional eligibility may be able to use conventional transit for part of their trip, but may also qualify for specialized transit under specific circumstances (e.g., winter weather conditions, travel to a non- accessible location).
Other Important Details
Passengers may have one companion OR support person travel for free. Multiple companions may be accommodated in an accessible van, up to the manufacturer’s rated capacity of the vehicle, where a seatbelt for each occupant is available. At the time of booking, inform the operator of the number of people travelling with you.
For passengers who are “independent” or “care to care” please inform at the time of booking if a companion or support person will be going with you.
Passengers who document having seizures may be required to travel with a support person.
Once a passenger is registered as “care to care” or “cannot travel alone” these designations can only be modified by a Healthcare Professional. Please contact the Kingston Area Taxi Commission to obtain a copy of the required form to be completed by a Healthcare Professional.
All passengers are assigned one of the following travel conditions:
Independent – The passenger can travel independently and may be left unattended at their destination.
Care to Care - The passenger may travel independently but a caregiver must be at the destination to receive the passenger. If the passenger can travel unattended, however cannot be left unattended at their destination please indicate on page 12 and/or 18 of the application form. This designation will apply to all trips and destinations you travel to. To avoid delays to our service, we require the caregiver to be at the destination when the vehicle arrives. If someone is not available to receive you, the KATC reserves the right to require the passenger to travel with a support person at all times.
Cannot Travel Alone – the KATC’s Kingston Accessible Transit Pass Program (KATP)is not an attendant care service. If you require a “support person” during transportation to assist with communication, mobility, personal care, behaviour, or medical needs, this person must be provided by you. KATC drivers cannot provide special medical assistance to passengers (e.g., feeding tubes, administering medication such as inhalers). Please note:
The person travelling as a support person must always be capable of meeting the needs of the passenger during transportation.
If you or your healthcare practitioner indicates that you need a support person, this will apply to all trips and destinations you travel to/from. Transportation will be denied if you do not have a support person responsible for your care during transit. The KATC’s Kingston Accessible Transit Pass Program (KATP) is not responsible for any missed trips due to passengers not having a support person to travel with them.
Applicants who are declined due to not meeting the eligibility requirements may appeal this decision. The applicant must submit an “Eligibility Appeal Form” within 30 calendar days from the date of the original eligibility decision letter. Contact the KATC to obtain the form.
The appeal will be heard first by a subcommittee of the Kingston Area Taxi Commission. Should the appeal be declined by the subcommittee, the applicant may request a further appeal to an independent arbiter appointed by the KATC. No subsequent application may be filed until 6 months after the date of the final appeal decision unless evidence of material change in circumstances is provided with a new application.
Effective April 1, 2025, the fare for KATC’s Kingston Accessible Transit is $3.50 per registered passenger. A companion or support person may travel with the registered passenger, free of charge.
The service area is generally described as the transit service area of Amherstview together with the geographical area bounded by Lake Ontario to the South, Highway 401 to the North, Highway 15 to the East and Collins Bay Road and Bayridge Drive to the West, all within the City of Kingston as illustrated on the map titled “Accessible Transportation Service Area”.
For registered Clients travelling outside the service area, the client shall pay the current subsidized fare (at the time of the trip) plus the metered fare from the boundary, as confirmed by the service area map, to the destination. The meter shall be turned off at the boundary and restarted to the destination; this is the client’s responsibility to pay. If the client refuses to pay this amount, they will be refused service until the payment is made.
Registered Clients are not permitted to change their destination once the ride is booked and underway nor are clients permitted to stop at a location on way to their destination, therefore stops on route that incur ‘waiting time’ are not permitted. Clients requesting a destination change once the ride is booked and underway will be requested to provide payment for the cost of the deviation from the original destination. This is a cost borne by the Client.
Kingston Accessible Transit Pass – Application
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1201 Division St Unit 12
Kingston, ON K7K 6X4
