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| Coventry taxi as ramp buckles http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=29118 |
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| Author: | captain cab [ Thu May 05, 2016 8:49 am ] |
| Post subject: | Coventry taxi as ramp buckles |
Firefighters come to the rescue to get wheelchair out of Coventry taxi as ramp buckles Four-year-old disabled boy lifted from chair and carried out of city-built black cab Firefighters came to the rescue to get a wheelchair out of a Coventry taxi after the ramp buckled. Disabled four-year-old Noah Wall was lifted out of his heavy wheelchair and carried out of the city-built black cab. But that left his mum puzzling how to get the wheelchair out without risking pushing it down the damaged ramp. In the end firefighters from Coventry Fire Station were called to haul the chair out of the taxi. Since the incident, Noah and his mum Shelly have been invited by the London Taxi Company to help redesign the ramp on the black cabs. The drama began when Shelly Wall, 44, called a taxi for herself, Noah and her 23-year-old daughter Steph to travel to their hotel in The Butts, Spon End. The family, from Cumbria, were staying in the hotel on a visit to Coventry to find a vehicle adapted for carrying Noah’s wheelchair. Shelly was horrified when the ramp buckled as Noah’s wheelchair was pushed into the taxi. When the family reached the hotel Noah was carried inside leaving Shelly puzzling about how to get the wheelchair out. She didn’t want to risk pushing it down the buckled ramp. The hotel manager arrived to help and called the fire brigade. Full time mum Shelly, who campaigns on disability issues, said: “I didn’t want to risk pushing the wheelchair down a buckled ramp. “My daughter took Noah inside and went to fetch the hotel manager who called the fire brigade. “People need to know when they are calling a taxi that they need to check if the ramp can take a wheelchair" “I want to raise awareness that this is something that can happen.” She added: “If it started tipping with him in it then I wouldn’t be able to personally save him from tipping. I’m not going to put my son at risk.” Noah is partially paralysed. He has spina bifida and hydrocephalus. A spokesperson for the London Taxi Company said: “We are sorry to hear about this incident and our first thoughts are with Noah and his family and we regret any distress caused. “We have already launched our own investigation and while we don’t know the full details we are committed to working with all the relevant authorities to ensure lessons are learned. “The London Taxi Company remains absolutely committed to supporting the provision of high quality, safe and fully accessible transportation services that support a full range of disability needs.” source: http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/f ... t-11275610 |
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| Author: | bloodnock [ Thu May 05, 2016 9:17 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Coventry taxi as ramp buckles |
I guess that's the problem when Wheel chairs start weighing about the same weight as a Saracen Armoured car. If that what they can do to ramps what would it do to Restraining straps in the event of an Accident, unless they are tethered down with Cargo ship grade anchor chain then they could break free and, I reckon such chairs could easily kill their occupants in the event of a Roll or Partial roll and who gets sued for liability or corporate manslaughter then? |
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| Author: | heathcote [ Thu May 05, 2016 10:40 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Coventry taxi as ramp buckles |
This scenario of wheelchairs being too heavy,over sized,incorrect ramps,health and safety issues in loading,taxi rank design was discussed with Government Ministers and DFT Officials on several occasions at the annual conference held by the National Taxi Association and are still awaiting answers to questions raised. |
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| Author: | roythebus [ Thu May 05, 2016 10:41 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Coventry taxi as ramp buckles |
the whole DDA regulations or whatever they're called these days are a shambles. when the idea was mooted back in the 1990s I had some input into the design of wheelchair accessible buses in London. they sued what was then a standard size wheelchair. Once the buses were built, wheelchair sizes increased. so the early wheelchair buses no longer comply with current regs. Even the latest buses cannot accept the Saracen tank wheelchairs that have appeared in the meantime. The safe working load of bus wheelchair ramps is labelled at 300kg, but as you say that is nowhere near enough. Nor are wheelchair spaces big enough. I had a woman last week trying to board my bus in Barking, and not only was the space not big enough, but her battery powered Saracen didn't have enough power to get up the ramp. she had to wait for the next bus. |
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| Author: | grandad [ Thu May 05, 2016 10:43 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Coventry taxi as ramp buckles |
I would say it is down to risk assessment. The driver should know the weight limit of his ramps and also the holding down straps. I would like to think that these wheelchairs have the weight stamped on them and if that weight plus the weight of the occupant exceed the limits for the ramp and straps then the fare must be refused on safety grounds. Do the ramps on a WAV have to be tested at all? The vehicle that we had used a tail lift and this had to be tested every 6 months. |
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| Author: | MR T [ Thu May 05, 2016 12:46 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Coventry taxi as ramp buckles |
grandad wrote: I would say it is down to risk assessment. The driver should know the weight limit of his ramps and also the holding down straps. I would like to think that these wheelchairs have the weight stamped on them and if that weight plus the weight of the occupant exceed the limits for the ramp and straps then the fare must be refused on safety grounds. Do the ramps on a WAV have to be tested at all? The vehicle that we had used a tail lift and this had to be tested every 6 months. How many wheelchairs are tested and passed as ok to be used in Taxis...............have been passed as safe ? |
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| Author: | edders23 [ Thu May 05, 2016 12:55 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Coventry taxi as ramp buckles |
Not that i have a WAV any more BUT my ramps had a safe working load listed on the side and I assume that all ramps similarly have a SWL limit and I have on more than one occasion tried to explain unsuccessfully on the phone that many Electric chairs exceed that or were too low to clear the side walls. It is a problem that wheelchairs are getting bigger and heavier with many now appearing with 6 wheels in order to support the load BUT their users do assume that no matter how big the chair it will fit in a taxi |
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| Author: | grandad [ Thu May 05, 2016 4:09 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Coventry taxi as ramp buckles |
MR T wrote: grandad wrote: I would say it is down to risk assessment. The driver should know the weight limit of his ramps and also the holding down straps. I would like to think that these wheelchairs have the weight stamped on them and if that weight plus the weight of the occupant exceed the limits for the ramp and straps then the fare must be refused on safety grounds. Do the ramps on a WAV have to be tested at all? The vehicle that we had used a tail lift and this had to be tested every 6 months. How many wheelchairs are tested and passed as ok to be used in Taxis...............have been passed as safe ? Maybe this is something that we should be lobbying for. |
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| Author: | Nidge2 [ Thu May 05, 2016 4:48 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Coventry taxi as ramp buckles |
MR T wrote: How many wheelchairs are tested and passed as ok to be used in Taxis...............have been passed as safe ? None. |
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| Author: | Sussex [ Thu May 05, 2016 10:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Coventry taxi as ramp buckles |
bloodnock wrote: I guess that's the problem when Wheel chairs start weighing about the same weight as a Saracen Armoured car. I couldn't agree more. Some of those chairs are massively heavy, and I doubt any ramp will do. I'm also amazed that one of those super wheelchairs actually can get safely strapped in a TX. 
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| Author: | Chris the Fish [ Thu May 05, 2016 10:49 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Coventry taxi as ramp buckles |
The wheelchair is safe, but the TX.....
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| Author: | edders23 [ Fri May 06, 2016 5:53 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Coventry taxi as ramp buckles |
Chris the Fish wrote: The wheelchair is safe, but the TX..... I don't think we can say that for sure unless an update to this comes out after ramps tested |
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| Author: | skippy41 [ Fri May 06, 2016 12:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Coventry taxi as ramp buckles |
Obviously, Coventry council haven't complied with the Liverpool high court ruling, and are still refusing to licence other types of larger cabs, possibly because the TX is made there. |
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| Author: | MR T [ Fri May 06, 2016 1:54 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Coventry taxi as ramp buckles |
grandad wrote: MR T wrote: grandad wrote: I would say it is down to risk assessment. The driver should know the weight limit of his ramps and also the holding down straps. I would like to think that these wheelchairs have the weight stamped on them and if that weight plus the weight of the occupant exceed the limits for the ramp and straps then the fare must be refused on safety grounds. Do the ramps on a WAV have to be tested at all? The vehicle that we had used a tail lift and this had to be tested every 6 months. How many wheelchairs are tested and passed as ok to be used in Taxis...............have been passed as safe ? Maybe this is something that we should be lobbying for. we?? |
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| Author: | grandad [ Fri May 06, 2016 2:19 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Coventry taxi as ramp buckles |
MR T wrote: grandad wrote: Maybe this is something that we should be lobbying for. we?? The trade, as one. |
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