Taxi charged extra £5 for wheelchairA CEREBRAL palsy sufferer was asked for £5 on top of his usual fare by a Swindon cabbie last week - because he needed his wheelchair in the boot.
Michael Oliver, 23, was being collected by a V Cars driver at his Hebden Close home for his daily commute to work in Kembrey Park, last Friday.
The customer adviser has been taking the same trip every day with the taxi firm, using a variety of car types, for six months and has never once been charged more than the standard £7.
However, on this occasion, he was told he had to cough up more than 70 per cent extra because it was an estate car and his wheelchair might smash the window.
The firm says the charge is added at the discretion of the driver.
But Mr Oliver said he had been sent estate cars on numerous occasions in the past and the wheelchair, which weighs less than 10kg, had always fitted safely in the vehicles, even saloons.
He had not specifically requested the estate car, nor had he been forewarned of any added charge.
“It’s not exactly the money, but it’s the principle because I shouldn’t be charged more for a service than anyone else,” he said.
“We hadn’t requested it (an estate car). If a non-disabled person were to call it to take them to work, from what I gather, they wouldn’t have been charged that extra charge. He’s used the wheelchair as an excuse to get the extra £5.”
Mr Oliver said the driver had initially asked if the wheelchair folded, but was told it did not, though the wheels could be detached.
The wheelchair was safely stowed in the boot when the driver then asked for the extra charge before radioing the V Cars office for confirmation.
A supervisor there, Mr Oliver said, considered it a grey area, but the driver was within his rights to ask for the extra fare as it was an estate.
“Immediately, I was pretty angry, but then of course, sadly, things like that have happened to me a lot in the past,” he said. “I’m used to it, but rarely is someone that blatant about it.
“It’s not the charge or the money. I don’t want this guy to carry on doing it. If we can get some sort of awareness this is going on, that will be a good thing ultimately.”
Mr Oliver, who has suffered from cerebral palsy since birth, said he had asked around other regular taxi users, who said they might expect a 15 per cent extra charge for estate cars on airport trips.
He uses the Government’s Access to Work scheme, which allows him to claim back travel costs as a disabled worker.
He declined to pay the extra charge and the taxi drove on, leaving him at home with his wheelchair and late for work.
A spokesman for V Cars said: “V Cars will always try to meet the needs of all their customers, this includes wheelchair users.
“Any fold up wheelchairs that will comfortably go into a saloon sized boot will not have any additional charge. Larger wheelchairs that require an estate vehicle do carry an extra charge. Estate vehicles have an additional £5 charge.
“These same vehicles also carry the same extra charge if ordered by an able-bodied person.
“The confusion arises because not all drivers charge the extra fare. If a driver decides to give a customer a discounted rate then that is his right to do so.
“When making a booking we always advise of the extra charge if the customer has stated that they require a larger vehicle.
“V Cars picks up thousands of wheelchair bound people each week and are 100 per cent committed to providing a service for all.”
source:
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/13367807._/
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