Taxi Driver Online

End of road for taxi drivers' day out
Rashid Razaq

FOR more than half a century the annual Manchester taxi drivers' convoy to Blackpool has been a special day for hundreds of disabled children.

But a lack of volunteers, rising insurance costs and increasing red tape has meant the organisers have cancelled the event.

The Manchester Taxi Drivers Organisation for Handicapped Children charity has decided to wind-up the annual trip to Blackpool Pleasure Beach - an event that started in 1949 when a cabbie was asked to show blind passengers around Manchester.

Once stretching to more than 100 taxis and more than 200 kids, the annual convoy has been shrinking in size with the introduction of health and safety regulations meaning cabbies were forced to hire minibuses.

Organiser and retired cabbie Bernard Andrews, 76, believes the lack of support from younger drivers has left the charity with little option but to close down.

Bernard said: "There are only seven people on our committee now and most of us are in our seventies. We're not really up to it and need replacing.

Community spirit

"We held a meeting last week and no one turned up. There isn't the same community spirit among the young drivers. People don't want to give up their time for free anymore."

The closure of the Manchester taxi convoy follows the ending of similar events in Trafford and Salford.

The cabbies believe the change from residential schools to day schools for disabled children has made scheduling more difficult with stricter times on when kids can be collected and dropped off.

Bernard said: "We are going to wind-up the organisation in the next few weeks. The £7,000 we have raised so far will go to Camberwell Park School and Francis House."

Camberwell Park School in Blackley is a specialist school for children with learning disabilities and Francis House hospice in Didsbury provides care for seriously-ill children.

Camberwell Park School headteacher, Pam Stanier, said: "We are very grateful for the many years of support for the children and have many happy memories.

"The taxi drivers have been very generous with their time and money and given the children a great day. It has always been well-organised and safe. The staff and children will miss the exciting day out."

Should the annual event have been stopped?

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

It would appear that drivers up there have been putting their money in buckets, other than the ones for the outings.

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IDFIMH

dont know if thats true, but it would seem to be.

Captain cab

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Or it could be that they don't have the spare money to put into buckets that they used to.

perhaps they could have got a loan of the NTTG

Captain cab

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Cap. Dont know how long you have been working with handicapped kids days out ,but you should know by now that funding is normally raised outside of the trade,we had our 27th last year ,usually 60 to 90 cabs go on the day out .

Good way to build a relationship with your local councillors, especially if you get the mayor to pick the best decorated cab (plenty of pictures in the press).........MR T. P S it would have been no use asking the n.t.a. for a loan would it ....

they made there charity donation last year, and again later this year, incidentally those nice chaps in Carlisle sold diaries for the LTD blind kids fund too.


Captain cab

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Dont those nice chaps in carlisle have their own kids day out.......not being bitchy just curiosity........MR T.....

its funny you should ask that question, because before delimitation we used too.

them councillors you were on about must have missed our relationship building attempts.

during the last couple of years weve raised about £5k for various charities though.

Captain cab

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Cap
From the original article it was clear to me that money was not an issue.I was trying to apprise you of this, in my opinion, it is more likely a fall out in the committee,I think you will know what I mean...........MR T...

As for councillors thay come and go,We have to stay on top all the time...

I tend to agree with you Mr T, but you would think with the bad press Manchester EN gives the cab trade (as stated by cheshirebest), youd think that the trade would keep the thing going to counter this.

regards

Captain cab

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

The reasons are manyfold. Once upon a time we used to have a convoy of 100 cabs, shepherded all the way to Blackpool by a phalanx of police outriders. It was a magnificent feeling to be guided all the way through the various junctions and roundabouts etc. Then about 6 or 7 years ago the police were unable to supply the team, police funding was not up to it. From memory the committee were offered a system where the escort would take them to the GMP boundary. I think it was the beginning of the end, a convoy was no longer possible and people movers were used for the first time.
I heard the other day that an insurance problem had raised its ugly head whereas in the good old days when we were more naive and the compensation culture had not taken hold it was ok to just to turn up and have a good day out. All drivers are of course Crb'd but any amateur helpers have to be vetted as well.
Of course times change and some of the newer drivers would not give a door a bang, and as Bernard Andrews pointed out the committee have put their time in and there is no prospect of new blood.
A sad day.
I had to smile at the story line... the trips to Blackpool started when a driver was asked to show a party of blind people around Manchester.
Ged

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taxi driver @manchester airport