Taxi Driver Online

Walsall taxi drivers fined for unsafe carrying of wheelchair users



TWO Walsall taxi drivers have been fined for failing to carry a wheelchair passenger in a safe manner after they were caught out in an undercover police officer operation.

Abid Hussain, 47, of Lumley Road, Chuckery and Mohammad Maksud Ali, 40, of Arundel Street have been fined a total of £1,800 after pleading guilty to failing to carry a wheelchair passenger in a safe manner.

Councillor Adrian Andrew, deputy leader for Walsall Council, said: "This sends out a clear message to taxi and private hire drivers in Walsall that they must respect the needs of every member of our community."

Walsall's licensing enforcement team had originally received complaints from members of the public who alleged drivers had failed to secure wheelchair users and were overcharging them for journeys. The council sent letters to all firms to remind its drivers of the need to guarantee passenger safety, particularly for wheelchair dependant passengers.

In the morning of April 28, 2015, an undercover West Midlands Police officer, who is a wheelchair user and an officer from the council's licensing enforcement team, booked a taxi from Starlight Private Hire for a journey from Dudley Fields Health Centre to Walsall Manor Hospital.

They had informed the radio operator that they required a vehicle suitable to transport a wheelchair user but the court heard that Hussain arrived to collect them in his London TXI Taxi and made no attempt to secure the wheelchair or fasten a seatbelt around the police officer.

He also left the officer facing sideways instead of positioning him facing the rear of the vehicle. Before the journey, the police officer said to the driver that he needed to be strapped in but Hussain said he was safe because the wheelchair's brakes were activated.

Despite repeatedly raising concerns to Hussain he failed to secure the wheelchair properly, even though the seatbelt warning alarm could be heard for the rest of the journey. Upon reaching their destination, Hussain was paid £7 but had failed to set the meter before undertaking the journey.

A similar sting operation was launched at 12.30pm on the same day. This time, a taxi was booked from United Cars, a licensed private hire company in Walsall for a journey from Walsall's Manor Hospital to the Tesco Superstore in the town centre.

Ali arrived in his Hackney cab and initially failed to safely secure the officer in his wheelchair. After a short distance, the officer informed the driver that he didn't feel safe and his wheelchair was not secure. The court heard Ali then pulled over and secured the wheelchair correctly and placed a seatbelt around the passenger.

Both drivers attended formal interviews with Walsall Council's enforcement team and confirmed that neither had secured the wheelchair passenger.

The duo pleaded guilty to carrying a wheelchair passenger in their vehicles unsecured and as such the use of the motor vehicle involved danger of injury to any person carried in it at Walsall Magistrates Court yesterday (Monday, December 14).

Hussain was fined £160 for the wheelchair offence, £20 for failing to bring the taxi meter into action, a £20 victim surcharge, £150 criminal court charge and £600 for costs.

Ali was fined £180 for the wheelchair offence, a £20 victim surcharge, £150 criminal court charge and £500 for costs. Both drivers also received 3 points on their licence.

Cllr Andrew added: "Most drivers in Walsall comply with the law and we commend the service provided, but we will take action where there is a failure to comply with legal requirements.

"It is essential that the public has confidence in the quality of service provided and that public expectations are fulfilled."


Read more: http://www.walsalladvertiser.co.uk/8203 ... z3uPTTpiXk

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

Not sure this is the best way to deal with this issue.

Seems heavy handed, and more likely to lead drivers to blank wheelchair work.

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IDFIMH

Do you have a better idea?

Surely all Drivers are aware of their responsibilities, they should face the music if they choose not to do things properly.

The fines for blanking Wheelchairs are generally at about the same level.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

Better training, final warnings, putting more onus on operator's.

You can blank (albeit illegally) a wheelchair job via a radio for a multitude of reasons.

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IDFIMH

The following warning was issued:

Quote "The council sent letters to all firms to remind its drivers of the need to guarantee passenger safety, particularly for wheelchair dependant passengers." End Quote.

I would agree that the Operator should also be prosecuted, if that is what you are getting at.

How to stop "blanking" on Data heads or Radio could be problematic - perhaps the data or sound files from the operator should be retained, as sound on CCTV is itself a problem, post Oxford.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

We have had the same problem here although with a totally different outcome. There is a driver who always transports wheelchairs sideways and unsecured. he also charges double the fare that should be charged. Our councils response to this is well nothing really.

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Grandad,

strapping wheelchairs in takes about 3 or 4 minutes if you don't and the passenger ends up injured your insurance company is going to throw the book at you as well as the council. It is common sense surely ?

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

quite correct in my opinion , it takes longer & these people get a mobility allowance to cover for this type of expense, like someone posted it takes about 5 mins to secure a wheelchair, so thats 10 mins on a single job, why should the driver do this for nothing ? there could be a job waiting & he will miss it because he is fannying about with a wheelchair straps, get 3 of them a day that's 30mins graft, how much would he make on a fare that took 30 mins ?, they want a WAV , they pay WAV prices, fook them

Unfortunately the disabled lobby is strong in the Uk and councils generally back them as it makes them look good so you are expected to charge no more than for an able bodied passenger

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

Unfortunately the disabled lobby is strong in the Uk and councils generally back them as it makes them look good so you are expected to charge no more than for an able bodied passenger[/quote]

....and that is why there are disabled plates up for grabs here ( since the council said we cant discriminate) & i want one for a school run, like i said , just because its a wav, dont mean you have to take them

....and that is why there are disabled plates up for grabs here ( since the council said we cant discriminate) & i want one for a school run, like i said , just because its a wav, dont mean you have to take them [/quote]


Make sure you get your exemption certificate then

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

Make sure you get your exemption certificate then[/quote]
for what ? driving past someone who is in a wheelchair & tries to flag you down? don't need one mate