Taxi Driver Online

Taxi scheme to aid disabled


A NEW taxi scheme, which would give elderly and disabled people who struggle to get on the bus a discount, could be introduced in Weston and Worle.

The idea was brought forward by Ben Nicholas, who lives in Weston, who felt the scheme could be piloted in the Worlebury area.

During Weston Town Council’s policy and finance committee David Cordingley spoke on Ben’s behalf about the plan.

He said: “The scheme would be for those who are elderly or disabled and cannot use the bus. With this they could call a taxi and get a small reduction on that fare.

“Ben contacted Dundee County Council which uses the scheme and it works for them at a controllable cost. They can get £2 off their fare.

“People could send the taxi card into Weston Town Council where the authority could set a limit.”

Members of the committee agreed the plan was a good idea but had some concerns over how much council officers’ time would be used in checking the fares. Mr Cordingley said people who are part of the scheme could be given a certain amount of discounted trips each year to make it easier.

Cllr Mike Bell said: “The obvious way of administrating it would be using the concessionary bus passes people already have. They could use that as their passport to get the subsidised taxi fare.

“The only issue for me is the overhead officers’ spend. I think we would be looking to North Somerset to meet the financial costs.

“The danger would be if you’re giving people an unlimited opportunity to get a discount on their taxi fare I would worry you would get a lot of people not using the bus.

“But in principle it’s a very good idea.”

Cllr Sonia Russe came up with the idea of extending the scheme, if it goes ahead, to younger people who are disabled also.

Chairman of the committee Cllr Peter Crew said: “It is a proposal I am prepared to take to the expenditure and governance committee to discuss before taking it to North Somerset.”

http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/ ... _1_3897560

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

And the discrimination one.
Or is it ok to charge disabled people less than the able, but you can't charge the able less than the disabled ?

But both are being charged the same and then a discount given to the disabled, but as the discount is not available to the able bodied is it discrimination ?

Working on that theory, pensioners bus passes or taxi tokens would be discriminatory against the young.

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Grandad,

They are...theres no such thing as Equality as no two people are ever truly equals.

But there's no law against age discrimination except in employment (I think?)

Flip it round 'A new scheme to help the able bodied get discount taxis, the disabled will continue to pay full price'