A blind attorney has filed a petition against the Maryland Transit Administration, claiming the Taxi Access program should have more clear-cut rules and a neutral appeals process to stop the increase in the amount of complaints among riders.

Gary Norman filed the petition last week on behalf of the Central Maryland Council of the Blind, the Maryland Area Guide Dog Users Inc., James P. Childs Transportation Co. and the National Coalition for the Support of Disability Issues, whom he locally represents.

“The MTA seemed to implement rules without giving an advance notice to the riders,” Norman said.

The confusion lies in two versions of the rules: one dating to 2002 and the other, an apparent revision, in October 2007.

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The updated version never had “the kind of public scrutiny” and input of riders required under the Maryland Administrative Procedure Act and now make the program “less inclusive” and mandate more strict requirements for riding, Norman said.

The program was created to give same-day, responsive and flexible transportation options for the disabled, instead of traditional paratransit services requiring riders to wait for a bus, he said.

“It worked very well and it probably worked too well,” said Nancy Dosh, treasurer for Maryland Area Guide Dog Users and a 13-year community advocate for the visually impaired.

“But they started changing the rules midstream and were being arbitrary about it and not informing the people.”

One of the most important things for those with disabilities is having access to quality transportation and to have the same access as those without disabilities, she said.

“To our knowledge and belief, increasing number of instances of complaints is arising under the Taxi Access program,” wrote Norman, “which include actions towards consumers and providers alike.”

One such change causing concern is the fare being limited to $50 for each one-way ride, requiring riders to pay for all amounts that exceed the limit, in addition to a standard $3 cash fare per one-way ride.

He also objected to customers being called if their signature on a receipt didn’t exactly match the one on file, a very difficult request for the visually impaired.

Norman also said that a rider once received a two-year suspension from the program based on a “non-neutral conversation for which there was no appeals process to a neutral party.”

MTA officials did not return a call seeking comment by press time.

jkowalkowski@baltimoreexaminer.com