The Administration & Regulatory Affairs Department (ARA) and the Houston Airport System (HAS) recommend that City Council approve an ordinance amending Chapter 9 of the City of Houston Code of Ordinances related to vehicle-for-hire permitting and activities at Houston airports.
In October 2015, City Council amended Chapter 46 of the City’s Code of Ordinances to dramatically expand the level of vehicle-for-hire service provided to individuals with disabilities by creating a Wheelchair Accessible Service Provider Permit. Companies in this new category will provide wheelchair accessible service on behalf of existing vehicle-for-hire permittees through contracts.
Several companies have begun applying for this new permit type and are interested in serving customers citywide. In order for them to be able to pick up passengers at the airports, Chapter 9 must be amended to create an Airport Use Permit (AUP) for this new vehicle category. The proposed fees in the table below for the new Wheelchair Accessible Service Provider Airport Use Permit are comparable to the airport use fees charged to other vehicles-for-hire. The fees will become part of the City Fee Schedule but, like the other fees in Chapter 9, will not be subject to the annual CPI adjustment.
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Vehicle Class
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Description
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Fees
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Wheelchair Accessible Service Providers (WAVS
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Vehicles providing transportation services pursuant to chapter 46, article X of this Code.
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The annual use fee, based on number of seats (including driver) is:
1 through 6 seats: $325.00
7 through 11 seats: $400.00
12 through 24 seats: $475.00
25 seats or more: $550.00
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ARA and HAS also propose minor definition changes to the Scheduled Ground Transportation permits that are overseen by HAS and issued by ARA. The proposed ordinance revisions are intended to better align the terminology for these Chapter 9 vehicle-for-hire permits to the defined terms in Chapter 46 of the Code of Ordinances.
Departmental Approval Authority:
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Tina Paez, Director Other Authorization
Administration & Regulatory
Affairs Department
Contact Information:
Lara Cottingham Phone: (832) 393-8503
Kathryn Bruning Phone: (832) 394-9414