Denise Guelld, owner of Budget Taxi, said she will have to take this wheelchair-accessible taxi van out of service.

EUGENE, Ore. -- Is it discrimination -- or just someone trying to run their business?

The City of Eugene effectively shut down Budget Taxi's wheelchair-accessible van service because they charge more money for the van than for a regular taxi.

City officials say the different charges violate the federal Americans with Disability Act. The Business License Coordinator told Guelld she would lose her license unless she changed her wheelchair van rates to be consistent with the rest of her fleet, or gave up this service entirely. 

The owner of the cab disagrees with this action.

"Just because you're disabled does not mean the only place you go is the doctor," said Denise Guelld, owner of Budget Taxi. "They go out at night, they go to bars, they go to grocery stores, and to take away their only transportation is bull."

Guelld showed KVAL News her wheelchair-accesible Budget Taxi van. She has been providing this service for more than 20 years.

But starting Jan. 1, this service is history: The City of Eugene says Guelld is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. The city, which grants taxi licenses, cites the disparity in price: the base rate for a regular taxi from Budget is $3. The wheelchair-accessible van starts at $20.

Guelld said the cost of equipping and maintaining the van is greater than for her company's other taxi cabs. Those costs are reflected in the higher base rate, she said.

But Laura Hammond, the city's Community Outreach & Participation Coordinator, said it's against ADA rules for a company to charge someone more for a service because they are handicapped. Hammond said even though this service has been offered for years, the issue of pricing was just brought to their attention.

"People with disabilities need to be charged the same amount when they get their taxi cab service," Hammond said.

Guelld argues that the "per mile" rates are the same as any cab and that anyone who uses this specific taxi van -- whether they have a handicap or not -- has to pay the $20 fee.

"I don't think it's fair to force me to take that vehicle off the road," she said.

"But can a person in a wheelchair call a cab that doesn't have that service from her?" Hammond from the city said. "I mean, Iguess that's the point: that there's no other option for a person in a wheelchair."

Because of the cost and time needed to properly run the wheelchair-accessible van., Guelld says she cannot lower her flag drop rate. She now concerned her customers who use wheelchairs won't have enough ways to get around town -- and that pulling the plug on this service could cause the whole company to sink. The service makes up 40 percent of Budget Taxi's business.

"It's not going to help," Guelld said.