CHOOSING THE RIGHT TAXI OF TOMORROW

Accessible taxis would serve a growing market and be a huge step towards Toronto becoming "Transit City"

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TORONTO, July 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - Motion Group of Companies (www.motiongroup.ca), the Canadian distributor of the MV-1, hopes Toronto's Licensing and Standards Committee assesses the benefits of accessibility in choosing a standard taxicab for Toronto's streets.

The Taxi of Tomorrow contest being proposed by Toronto Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong is inspired by New York City's two-year-long Taxi of Tomorrow campaign. That contest (http://www.taxioftomorrow.com) was created to leverage the purchasing power of the taxicab industry to manufacture a safe, environmentally sustainable and comfortable cab for NYC passengers and drivers.

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. was awarded the 10-year contract to build the NV200 minivan. The announcement of this vehicle in May 2011 was met with a lawsuit against NYC's Taxi and Limousine Commission by Disability Rights Advocates incensed that other vehicles designed with wheelchair access were rejected in favor of a van that requires an expensive conversion to make it accessible.

"The city of Toronto has a moral and economic responsibility to require that the standard taxi is wheelchair accessible", says Nick Grande, CEO of Motion Group of Companies. "Many of Toronto's subway stations lack elevators and the City's Wheel Trans program is expensive to operate, often carrying fewer wheelchair passengers than its capacity. Choosing a fully accessible taxi, like London's black cabs, would improve public service and relieve the burden on the city's Para transit program which will only increase with our aging population".

As Globe Drive's Michael Vaughan wrote on July 8th, "The stage is set for the MV-1 as stricter transportation accessibility standards are on the horizon". The government is recognizing more highway vehicles (buses, transit buses, motor coaches, taxis, physically-disabled-passenger vehicles, and school buses) need to be accessible to meet the community's current and future needs.

As Toronto vies for more international events such as the Pan Am Games, standard accessible transportation will only add to the City's image and attractiveness.

About the MV-1

The MV-1 (www.motiongroup.ca) is the first true mobility vehicle designed to provide accessible transportation to fleets, municipalities and individuals with physical challenges. The MV-1 is the first factory-built mobility vehicle engineered from the ground up for wheelchair accessibility that meets or exceeds the stringent vehicle guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Canadian equivalent D-409 safety standards.

The MV-1 features a unique deployable access ramp, a spacious entryway, and a large interior seating a wheelchair and six passengers comfortably. In addition, the MV-1 offers an OEM-engineered and assembled dedicated Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powertrain option that can significantly reduce operating expenses and carbon emissions.

The Motion Group of Companies was involved in the conception and design of the MV-1 and is proud to be the exclusive Canadian distributor of this extraordinary vehicle.

SOURCE Motion Group of Companies