Taxi Driver Online

I feel sorry for these old and disabled folks who cannot get into a WAV - they are definitely being left out in the cold if it goes to all-WAV fleet because of some disability legislation that comes from Europe or somewhere. We must definitely at least keep a 50-50 balance between the WAV and saloon. London cabs are not really very popular either despite their iconic image - I wouldn't ever flag one. I still sometimes put wheelchairs in my saloon boot, and the disabled person into front seat - this is what they prefer.

I used to drive a disabled cab, a Doblo, and I didn't think disabled people liked it too much, horrible place to sit - plus every second passenger got their fingers nipped in the sliding door which was one of the reasons I was glad to leave that cab - I think the licensing board should have been sued for these injuries - this is unfit for serving the public, I did not feel comfortable putting people in that situation, and hearing somebody yelling out in pain every so often!



Yes that is probably what is behind it, quite frankly - follow the money and you get your answer

You know they are not, and some drivers even try to clamp them down with wheel chair clamps? If they had to take them out of pushchairs there would be no need for the wav.

Often it's the mums want to keep the little horrors restrained by keeping them strapped into the pushchairs I always face the pushchairs backwards and use the seatbelts for the rear facing seats to secure them although not all can be secured that way

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

If they were round here they'd have their badges revoked if they did that.

If you're in a proper wav, and there is a centre partition the child is safer being left in the pushchair, rear facing as long as they are strapped in.
Alegidly CC posted something to do with a legal case regarding this very subject some time ago

You know they are not, and some drivers even try to clamp them down with wheel chair clamps? If they had to take them out of pushchairs there would be no need for the wav.[/quote]


If they were round here they'd have their badges revoked if they did that.[/quote]

There is no law that Iam aware of; it's been down to the individual
driver, and drivers have transported pushchairs with children still in them
for donkey's years. However, i agree totally with you that the practice is
dangerous, unsafe, not recommended under any circumstances.

The only court case that draws a parallel is concerning the Birmingham black
cab that was transporting a teenaged girl in her wheelchair, along with her
father as carer. The wheelchair was not anchored correctly, the cab driver
had to brake severely, the girl had brittle bone disease and the braking
action broke her neck and she died. The coroner said that the driver was
exonerated, because it was the father who had loaded his daughter in that
manner/position in the taxi, and it was the father who had supervised her
seat belt and chair anchorage, or lack of it.

It's as i have always said: it will take a dreadful accident involving a
child in situ in its pushchair before anything 'formal' is done about this
practice. The outcome of such accident would be determined by whether or
not the driver actually placed the child/pushchair inside the taxi
him/herself (in which case he would be deemed to be responsible), or whether
the parent placed the child/pushchair together in the taxi and insisted that
they be carried this way.

You have been warned?

If they were round here they'd have their badges revoked if they did that.[/quote][/quote]

So it's hard to see how they can revoke your badge? What guidance do they give?

Then you enter the realms of the latest child seat belt laws, as
documented from the Department for Transport. They stated: "In cases where there is no child
restraint in [licensed] vehicles:- a child under 3 years may travel
unrestrained in the rear; and a child 3 years to 135cms in height must use
an adult belt and travel in the rear. Children up to 135cms in height may
only travel in the front seat of any vehicle if they use the correct child
seat/booster. Drivers remain responsible for making sure that passengers
under 14 years use seat belts/child seats/boosters as required."

So - it's clear as mud!!! - as obviously licensed drivers are not required
to carry booster seats. So if the child in the pushchair is 3 or under,
where do you put them? They cannot be carried in the parent's lap; they
must be separate. But "unrestrained"?

[/quote]

So it's hard to see how they can revoke your badge? What guidance do they give?[/quote]


The Council are going by VOSA rules and regulations and the restraining system used for pushchairs in the Taxis isn't made for pushchairs.

Derby County council school transport require WAV drivers to have the relevent certification before they grant a school contract requiring use of a wheelchair

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

The London public have no issues entering out taxis, they have steps, electric steps / doors, ramps, and swivel seats to assist them.

Quite how getting in the rear of a cramped saloon is easier beats me?

And if they're wheelchair bound, as many folks are, how does a saloon work then?

And (2) why would any driver, anywhere in the country want passengers sitting next to them or behind them with open access to cash, phones, necks etc?

Never.

Fit and able bodied people dont have mobility problems

but ask someone 80+ with arthritis to get in a van....

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

They do, regularly.

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Former taxi driver