Taxi Driver Online

Taxi Driver In Court

A Taxi driver has appeared in court accused of failing to secure a passenger’s wheelchair.
Mark Smith, aged 51, allegedly did not take all reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of the passenger in his hackney carriage on February 15.
Smith of Clittaford Road, Southway, pleaded not guilty to breaching a Plymouth City byelaw
Plymouth magistrates adjourned the case until October 10.

Published by The Herald, 29 September 2011.

Read this little snippet on my travels

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

I think we will see many, many more of these prosecutions in future.

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

I think it's good that the chap has pleaded not guilty, as now we should all get a bit more info on the case.

Of course he might be.

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IDFIMH

Its like this your honor, some brainless wide boys at the council said if I want to drive a cab, I must buy one of those TX things
So off I went and obliged him at £32,000, only to find out that a full sized wheelchair does not fit into the bit where its meant to, as per the Liverpool case your honor,cab to small.
I could have refused to take the customer but they would have complained to the council, In hindsight I should have as we would have nearly the same scenario, me in front of you for refusing to take them.
My customer asked why is there no saloons available as taxis, as they prefer them, I told them the idiots at the council said I must drive this heap of she-it.

I find you not guilty, and yes you can now go and buy that nice new Skoda Superb and have many happy years driving it

What makes me cringe are drivers who put pushchairs in with the child still in the pushchair.

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Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

Believe me, don't get Mercury X2

If the pushchair is facing rearward against the bulkhead, and the seat belt around it it should not be a problem as the child is restrained by the straps in the pushchair

Ah but that is the problem Skippy. Round here they just put the wheelchair in sidways and don't restrain it at all.

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Grandad,

Like with wheelchairs Skip have they been crash tested while inside the vehicle?

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Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

Believe me, don't get Mercury X2

Carrying of pushchairs in Hackney Carriage vehicles
Wheelchair access vehicles have space(s) reserved for the carrying of wheelchairs. Therefore the restraining mechanisms are designed purposely for restraining wheelchairs only. Pushchairs should be folded and secured; infants should be safely restrained in a passenger seat and not be transported in a pushchair.

I've had my WAV for 16 months now and in that time, not a single Parent has accepted the offer, of a Baby Seat, or Booster Seat, which has been made to the Parent of every small child entering the Taxi.

I've never dared press the point, for fear that they decide to use another Cab. It's difficult enough to get them to put their seatbelt on.

In the previous 2 years, while driving for a Company, I was only asked, just the once.

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Don't dream it ~ Be it.

Happens 1000s a time each day.

Will only stop when one is seriously injured, or worse.

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IDFIMH

Yep, but everyone should also remember many wheelchair users and buggy owners insist on getting in sideways / leaving the kids in the pram.

If I turned down every job that insisted on the above, and all those that refuse to belt up, I'd be selling my house.

I had one a couple of months ago where the guy wheels himself up to my cab at Terminal 5, jumps up, folds the chair himself, and gets in.

WTF !?

I'd hardly opened the boot for the ramp, and he was in.

If you were prosecuted for this, would you complain or accept the consequenses?

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Grandad,

I fully understand that, but all drivers are playing a game of Russian Roulette.

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IDFIMH