Taxi Driver Online

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_

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

One thing to get through to the law commission and parliament the punters HATE them there should be some sort of mechanism worked out to provide enough for the demand

Personally I think there should be a 2 tier license fee with drivers being allowed to opt for a saloon car hackney if they prefer but perhaps pay a higher license fee and those choosing to invest in W£av's getting lower fees and higher charges for more than 4 passenger journeys I'm sure the market would reach a better balance and perhaps outlawing the plating of vehicles larger than 6 seaters as hackneys if they are not Wav's

I'm sure then that a balance could be achieved which better serves the market place

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

Try to please everyone....end up pleasing no one.

CC

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

But thats just it though how many people really want wav's many disabled don't the only solution to providing for the disabled is to provide a range of vehicles not just 1 size fits all

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

No doubt you're right, but who's the poor smuck who's got to buy the WAV?

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

bit fecking late now for the 100% WAV areas, maybe the LA's will be forced to pay compo to those owners who have never had a wheelchair job

plus i think its degrading to assume a disabled person is automatically gonna be fixed in a wheelchair and expect those that are to be wheeled up ramps with no consideration to training and driver health

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

An interesting view as regards those in mixed fleet areas who are forced to run WAVs.

In our area noone has to buy a wav I have run one for 15 years and get a lot of regular wheelchair work although 99% of that is under £4 jobs 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 !!!!!!!!!!!

They bought it and even put drivers through council sponsored training courses to try and get school contracts they are not the slightest bit interested in anything local

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