Taxi Driver Online

Hi folks
I drive a saloon taxi within the city of Dundee, and I frequently get customers, elderly and infirm people, who complain that they cannot get into a WAV (Wheelchar Accessible Vehicle).

Often these customers will have been left waiting an inordinate length of time because WAV's have been mistakenly sent to them by an office. They are clearly very concerned about the matter. Often on approaching a taxi rank there is a long line of WAV's and hardly any saloon cabs.

This is clearly a violation of the rights of these people, and greatly inconsiderate of the licensing authorities.

And not only that but many abled-bodied people comment to me that they 'hate' these WAV type cabs, and will wait for a saloon to come along. I myself will never ever get into a WAV, and once suffered a painful injury in one.

Does anybody share with me the view that there needs to be far less of these horrible WAV cabs on the roads and more saloons.

Thank you.

It's the same all over the country mate not just in Dundee. You can't tell the Councils anything they know best.

The vast majority are well able to get into a WAV, they just prefer a saloon. This is a tired old argument trotted out by saloon taxi drivers, desperate to hold onto their saloons.

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

If the People want both type of Vehicles then they should be allowed both types of vehicles.

If that decision was left to the owners or the public, there would be few if any WAVs anywhere.

One wonders how these people manage in places like London or Edinburgh which not only have a 100% WAV fleets, they have a much more limited choice of WAVs.

Getting into the front of a Peugeot Premier or similar is no harder than getting into the front of a saloon car and they are also a lot less expensive than most of their predecessors. This probably goes some way towards explaining the dislike for them by some drivers. Usually the same saloon taxi drivers who have enjoyed a privileged status for years at the expense of their WAV driving counterparts. A privileged status which has included lower operating costs and a public licence to rent out when they retire.

BTW If a punter prefers a saloon, they have the option of phoning for a PH. I didn't think you'd be objecting to that.

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

In my experience old people do not like wavs, When they phone a private hire company, they request that one is not sent, and most of the requests for wavs are from pushchair uses.

We have 2 new Premiers and a london cab along with 2 E7s.

The premiers are better than saloons for most old people and they mostly tell us that, mainly because they are a little higher so they don't have to crouch down so much and its much easier for them to get out.

Most oldies hate the E7's and the London cab and moan like hell when one is sent to them in error, but saying that they generally don't say nothing when they need a 5-7 seater, they then ask for one rather than a transit bus.

Mixed fleets are needed. but Saloons are not.

If that decision was left to the owners or the public, there would be few if any WAVs anywhere.

Correct on all statements

in our area totally deregulated I am the ONLY WAV and have been for 15 years Joe public will usually choose a saloon as will most disabled people but mums + pushchairs and passengers who cannot transfer out of their chairs do use me along with those of our customers who don't mind the vehicle or who don't mind because I help them in and out

There is a limited need for such vehicles BUT unfortunately the motor vehicle trade who want to flog 1000's of these to the trade have a very strong influence in parliament and so the legislation is as it is

The only rider i would put on that is that where the supply of such vehicles is very limited it does put quite a strain on the provider as demand is almost 365 days a year for wheelchair services

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

No.

Surely the lady just asks for a saloon car.

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IDFIMH

Does a Penguin eat fish............Bring on the WAV's.

Personally I think a mixed fleet is better, the problem occurs when you have to decide who has to purchase the WAV.

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

The problem is that councils won't see sense on this if you make it cheaper to license a wav you will get wav's plated the answer is simple

Mixed fleet BUT make the fees for plating a Wav 50% of the fee for plating a saloon then you will get enough plating WAV's because there is a cost advantage simples

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

You get a 25% discount for plating a WAV here. There are 3 of them in the whole town and the owner of one of them doesn't do wheelchair work. I had a wheelchair accessible private hire vehicle for 2 years and probably did no more than a dozen jobs with it in that time.

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Grandad,

I hope the children are taken out of the pushchair before they set off?

Im not sure but I dont think anyone on here is 90 with mobility problems (but not a wheelchair user) so comments cannot be subjective, by the same token though, many saloons have limited access, ive gotten in vectras and octavias which had less leg and headroom than my mondeo, and the rear legroom was very poor

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