Preparing for a week off to attend meetings of the Missouri Municipal League, Kansas City's city council moved ahead with programs to benefit the young and the elderly yesterday.
After establishing a commission of young people to advise the city on youth programs, such as those at community centers, the council turned its attention to a discounted non-profit taxi service for the elderly and blind persons.
Councilman John Sharp, a sponsor of the plan, called it "a great asset to our older citizens, some of whom are getting rather frail to drive."
Giving those people an alternative, said Sharp, would provide a safety advantage to them and to the driving public. He said he understood that the most common age of passengers of the nonprofit taxis is 85.
The service, ITN America, would also offer transportation to blind persons. It uses mostly volunteer drivers.
In addition to establishing and allowing the category of charitable non-profit transportation, the ordinance sets standards for driver background checks and insurance requirements