Photo/Illutration It took this wheelchair user who participated in the survey an hour and 20 minutes to get this UD taxi in Tokyo on Oct. 30. (Shun Niekawa)

More than a quarter of participants in wheelchairs were refused rides by Universal Design (UD) taxis in a survey by a group representing people with disabilities.

The Japan National Assembly of Disabled People’s International (DPI-Japan) announced the results on Nov. 12.

The group carried out the survey on various companies that provide UD taxis on Oct. 30 with 120 people using electric or hand-operated wheelchairs to investigate complaints that such taxis were turning away passengers with disabilities.

The government has been subsidizing the introduction of UD taxis, which are specially designed to accommodate people in wheelchairs, with ramps to assist them with boarding, as part of preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

DPI-Japan said it will call on the transport ministry and taxi industry groups to take action to ensure UD taxi companies and drivers improve their services.

The survey was held in Tokyo and 20 prefectures, including Osaka, Aichi and Fukuoka. It covered three situations: on the street, at taxi stands and when making a reservation by phone or an app.

UD taxis turned down 32 passengers in wheelchairs on the day.

Five of 25 people who hailed taxis on the street were refused rides.

Nine of the 37 participants who tried to get a UD cab at a taxi stand were snubbed.

Eighteen of the 58 passengers who tried to reserve UD taxis were refused.

Passengers were given excuses that included: “Our company said electric wheelchairs can’t be accommodated,” and “We don't accept those reservations because it takes too much time to get passengers in wheelchairs in and out of the taxi.”

Satoshi Sato, DPI-Japan's secretary-general, said, “Some drivers are well-trained and highly aware, but as a whole it's hard to say the situation has improved. The taxi industry needs to keep doing more.”

A transport ministry official said though it also heard some positive comments on UD taxis, “there weren't so many.” The ministry is now considering its next steps on the issue, the official added.

A representative of the Japan Federation of Hire-Taxi Associations said wheelchair users are treated differently “among taxi companies and drivers.” The representative said the group will inform the taxi industry of the survey results and “seek ways for improvement.”

About 20,000 UD taxis were on the road as of March 2018. The government aims to increase the number to 44,000 by the end of March 2021.