There are many ways to get around the District if you are using a wheelchair. All metro stations and buses run by the Metropolitan Washington Transit Authority (WMATA) are wheelchair accessible. In addition, WMATA offers a regional paratransit service called MetroAccess that does not have an income requirement. DFHV through taxi companies offer an alternative paratransit service to Metro Access called Transport DC.
View the WAV Securement video.
The following local taxi companies provide wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) transportation:
Capitol Cab: (202) 398-0500
VIP: (202) 269-9000
YellowCab: (202) 544-1212
Please call the WAV Hotline at (202) 977-4WAV (4928) to connect with a taxi company with the nearest WAV. Wait times may vary.
For any questions/concerns about WAV’s please contact [email protected]
Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs) Satisfaction Survey
WAV Industry Trends
- 1% of all taxi trips are wheelchair users and 5% of all taxi trips are performed by a WAV. Of those WAV trips, 14% are completed by wheelchair users.
- 10 am – 11 am sees the most demand for WAV requests. Geographical demand in the District demonstrates that Ward 5 is the most popular for pick up and drop off WAV service.
- At least 20% of each taxicab fleet shall be wheelchair-accessible as outlined by § 50–301.25.
In June 2024, the Department of For-Hire Vehicles launched a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) Pilot program to improve accessibility and convenience for passengers and to help increase the supply of drivers and WAVs in the District. Over seven months, six (6) new WAV drivers were onboarded and provided 1,799 trips. This Pilot ended on December 31st, 2024.
The second iteration of the pilot launched in March 2025. The pilot continues DFHV’s commitment to enhancing accessibility and removing transportation barriers. In collaboration with Yellow Cab and Transco, the goal of this pilot is to provide additional and improved WAV service and collect transportation data to inform future policy decisions. One significant difference between the first iteration and the second iteration of the pilot is an added focus on increasing WAVs providing service in the District by reimbursing vehicle repair costs.
