Taxi drivers want to end ban on non-disabled access cars
Hackney carriage drivers calling for an end to a ban on non-wheelchair accessible vehicles have been told they will have to wait for the results of a national review.
Wokingham Borough Council’s licensing and appeals committee discussed a request from drivers of hackney carriages to change the current policy of having a fleet of wheelchair accessible vehicles at a meeting on Monday.
Drivers say the requirement is costing them more money, as the larger wheelchair accessible cars are more expensive to buy and run. They also say customers are booking private hire vehicles instead as they prefer saloon cars.
The council has found that West Berkshire, Reading and Bracknell all require hackney carriages to be wheelchair accessible, however Windsor & Maidenhead and Slough have mixed fleets.
In a report on the issue, Wokingham council officers write: “The hackney carriage fleet is made up of 100 per cent wheelchair access vehicles.
“Many drivers have paid substantial sums of money to buy purpose built vehicles or have vehicles modified such that they are fit for purpose.
“These drivers would fee aggrieved if saloon vehicles were allowed to be brought on to the fleet as generally they are less expensive than wheelchair access vehicles and this may result in requests for compensation.”
Wokingham has decided to keep the existing rule, as the Law Commission is reviewing the existing framework of taxi and private hire vehicle regulation.
source: http://www.getwokingham.co.uk/news/s/21 ... cess_cars_
|
there is one other taxi company who run a wav which is plastered all over with wheelchair friendly stickers but guess what they can never help out and cover a wheelchair job if you are stuck because the vehicle doesn't have ramps !!!!!!!!!!!