Taxi Driver Online

Decision time for borough’s taxi drivers


A row has broken out over a policy that would transform taxis in South Ribble.

Members of South Ribble Council’s licensing committee must decide tonight whether to uphold a 2005 decision, requiring all the borough’s taxis to be wheelchair accessible by next April.

Although firms were given 10 years to prepare, many are now pressing for a change of rules, claiming there isn’t enough demand to justify modifying every vehicle.

Independent driver John Gregory of Leyland said: “We don’t want to isolate disabled people, but we don’t want to isolate all of the borough either. The luxury of travelling in a saloon car will be taken away. For some of the elderly, it isn’t always practical for them to use a ramp so a smaller car is much easier.”

Cab owners will have to fund the cars themselves - a bill that could reach £30,000 - and their petition has gained hundreds of signatures from the public.

Mr Gregory added wheelchair users usually pre-book, and fares might have to go up to cover upgrade costs.

Pam Milner, whose son Jack is confined to a wheelchair because of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, believes SRBC is not going far enough over wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs).

Mrs Milner, a BAE worker from Longton, said: “It seems that most private WAV’s in South Ribble are used for contract work during the day to ferry disabled people to and from schools and colleges, therefore the drivers tend to work daytime hours and not at night time.”

Jack recently had to pay £40 for a return journey to attend a function less than a mile and a half away from his home, after no South Ribble firms were available and a taxi had to come from Preston.

Mrs Milner, who says the changes “shouldn’t have come as a shock” to taxi operators, has also challenged firm’s argument that most wheelchair bound residents have their own adapted vehicles, and urged SRBC to follow Preston Council’s lead by insisting all black cabs carry ramps.

She added: “Perhaps rather than listening to the taxi drivers, SRBC should survey the disabled residents.”

source: http://www.lep.co.uk/news/decision-time ... -1-6907196

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

Wouldn't it have made sense to fight this for the last ten years, rather than wait until time was nearly up?

Just a thought.

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IDFIMH

ffs - how dare you bring some common sense here!

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

Decade-long taxi ruling is thrown out after petition



Taxi drivers in South Ribble have succeeded in overturning a rule requiring all their vehicles to be wheelchair friendly by April.

In 2005, the council passed a motion giving firms 10 years to get all their vehicles ready, but with the deadline looming, drivers mounted a petition, arguing there wasn’t enough demand, and it would cost too much.

On Tuesday night, members of South Ribble Council’s licensing committee decided in the driver’s favour, saying only new vehicles must be wheelchair accessible.

Taxi driver John Gregory hailed the decision “a victory for sensibility”.

He said: “We’re all very pleased with the outcome, we feel the council has listened to our concerns, and I don’t think that there could have been a fairer decision.”

A statement from the council said: “The Committee decision not only benefits wheelchair users but also addresses the requirements of ambulant disabled and elderly users.”

It adds: “The committee have also decided to review this decision in a period of five years, and wish for all the findings to be presented before the General Licensing Committee.

“This will allow the authority to keep a watching brief not only on the number of vehicles which are wheel chair accessible but also if there is a balance of vehicles for all taxi users.”

Sally Wallace from Lostock Hall, who is paralysed from the chest down, said: “I’m pleased that there’s some change, at least eventually we will end up with all vehicles wheelchair accessible.

“It was unrealistic financially for all vehicles to be changed by April, but the taxi firms left it too late.

“It wouldn’t have been unrealistic if they had started planning 10 years ago.”

source: http://www.lep.co.uk/news/local/decade- ... -1-6909849

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

So no one will be buying any new cars in the next five years then?

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IDFIMH

Do they have an age limit ??.
It will still force all saloon owners to go WAV, meaning the council got there way by the back door and the ambient disabled will then be without.
Why not just wait for the law commission to settle things before jumping in at the deep end

because its been resolved around the way those who didn't bother

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