There’s little demand for wheelchair-accessible cabs, according to a controversial draft report that could affect which model taxi is picked for the entire fleet.

Wheelchair users took 5,800 trips during a two-year pilot program that allowed disabled passengers to telephone for cabs, according to the Taxi and Limousine Commission report.

The TLC spent $1 million in City Council funds on equipment and other expenses for the program – meaning each trip cost $172.

– Pete Donohue, N.Y. Daily News

So this report is saying that since not many wheelchair users call this number so they can then wait for a cab, we know wheelchair users do not need cabs. That doesn’t seem like a reasonable conclusion, does it?

Strikes me that one of the most convenient aspects of taxicab travel for most of us is that you never have to wait for a cab; you just flail your arms in the air long enough at any intersection and eventually one will pull over. I imagine, then, that cab use by wheelchair-bound people would rapidly increase if all cabs were accessible, and no one had to call and wait for one of the city’s 240 accommodating cabs.

The city is using the study to help pick the winner among three bids to build the next standard taxi model. And it’s worth noting that the one fully wheelchair-accessible model — designed by Turkish manufacturer Karsan — is by far the coolest.

Check it out. Not only does it boast WiFi and Internet access and tons of legroom, but it’s got an all-glass roof so passengers can look up at the tall buildings. Great for tourists, and a good way for a grizzled New Yorker to appreciate all the awesome skyscrapers without looking like a rube.

Look at this thing. It’d be sweet if a few thousand of these were cruising Manhattan in a few years: