Taxi Driver Online

Disability campaigner claims wheelchair users given cold shoulder by Perth private hire


A disability campaigner claims he has been made to wait in the rain for almost an hour because local private-hire drivers are reluctant to take passengers in wheelchairs.


Peter Hunter, who has cerebral palsy, says that although there are specially-adapted private-hire vehicles in use in Perth, many drivers dislike taking disabled fares because of the extra time and effort involved.

He said: “When I phone any of the major companies I am always told that there are no wheelchair-accessible vehicles available.

“There are times where I have to wait up to 50 minutes in the cold or wet, which no one should have to do.”

And the 30-year-old claimed that other drivers are putting the lives of themselves and passengers at risk by failing to properly secure wheelchairs in vehicles.

Chairs should be clamped to the floor of the vehicle and a seatbelt fitted.

Mr Hunter said: “There are some drivers who, at best, adhere to one of these points but at worst do neither.

“This not only endangers the disabled customer but also themselves, should they have the misfortune to be involved in an accident.”

Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser said: “It is worrying to hear that vehicles adapted specifically for the use of the disabled are not being put to use.

“Requiring increased effort on the part of the driver should be no reason not to serve disabled passengers and I would strongly recommend that taxis equipped with special functions must have drivers that are properly trained in how to use them.

“Disabled residents should have access to the very best services and, if that is not the case, Perth and Kinross Council must review the way in which permits are distributed.”

A spokeswoman for Capability Scotland said it was “crucial” that drivers had adequate training in dealing with wheelchair-bound passengers.

She said: “It is not acceptable for drivers not to pick people up because they can’t be bothered. Licensing authorities can give drivers exemptions if they have a condition which makes it difficult for them to assist disabled passengers.

“In our response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on taxi and private car licensing, Capability Scotland called for the development of a national medical exemption scheme for taxi drivers, which would require them to carry and display proof that they are unable to accept disabled passengers.

“While we know the majority of taxi drivers are willing to help disabled people, a better system for identifying drivers unable to assist disabled passengers would benefit disabled people and the taxi drivers themselves.”

A spokeswoman for the National Private Hire Association said private hire cars are not subject to the same laws as black cabs.

She said: “Under the Equality Act drivers of Hackney carriages only are not allowed to refuse a customer in a wheelchair, even if they are only taking them half a mile.”

Peter said, “The only way a driver can refuse is if they have a medical exemption but, I have to say, a lot of drivers think it is not worth taking a disabled person half a mile as it can take five minutes to strap them in.”

Perth and Kinross Council said it had not received any formal complaints relating to Perth private hire firms.

source: http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/ ... s-1.157069

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

I don't agree that the only way a taxi driver can refuse is with a medical exemption. If the wheelchair is of such a size and design that it can't be secured correctly within the vehicle, then I say that the driver can refuse.
I was talking to one of the drivers here regarding wheelchair users the other day. She drives a TX2 and a chap got off the train in his wheelchair and demanded that she take him to his hotel. She told him that she could not secure the wheelchair correctly due to it's size and he got realy angry and told he that if she didn't take him he would see that she lost her badge. He claimed that he had already made sure that several drivers in London had lost theirs for refusing to take him. She backed down and took him with the wheelchair facing sideways and unsecured. I think she was wrong to take him. Our council office is right next to the station and I think she should have rang our enforcement team and asked them to pop out and take a look.

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Grandad,

I agree - a driver is entitled to carry out a risk assessment

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

It seems that there is a growing arrogance amidst the wheel chair users, they seem to expect more and more without any thought to the people supplying them a WAV service, would they prefer someone get's a back injury in the process of loading their MkIII panzer tank sized wheel chair, or should we reasonably be allowed to refuse accept them, and if we do refuse them then threaten us with making sure we lose our Badge and along with it our livelyhood.

Taxi driver's do what they can, but they are not Skivvies. Ambulance crews, the Police, and any other government supplied transport would base their actions on an individual risk assesment....why should Cabby's or PH drivers be any different.

Have you seen the ones they use for obese people? Kin ell they're heavy as anything.

I went and picked someone up from the local Hospital a few weeks ago, when I pulled up she was in one of them Bariatric chairs for obese people. I tried to pick it up then I thought yeah you can do one. I told her son to lift it in.

Was that after a back sess including 200k deads

Yeah I hate leg days.