Who'd have guessed this issue would reappear?
The licensing councillor in the photo who says the issue has got 'predominantly' worse
and who thinks 'it shouldn't be a big problem to solve' is the one who tried to get five into my Octavia a couple of years ago
And the photo is at the Leuchars rank - the cars are just offscreen in front of the roofed shelter bit to the left of the photo...
But she definitely wasn't in a wheelchair then, but presumably needs WAVs all the time now
Fife wheelchair users call for more accessible taxis as limited service leaves them ‘trapped’ at homehttps://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/fi ... -concerns/A lack of wheelchair-accessible taxis is said to be a growing problem across Fife, but what is being done about it?https://wpcluster.dctdigital.com/wp-con ... 40x564.jpgFife wheelchair users say they “feel like prisoners” in their own homes amid a lack of accessible taxis.
Very few of the region’s operators offer a service capable of carrying a passenger with a wheelchair.
The large vehicles with ramps cost about £58,000, rendering them too expensive for many firms.
However, a group of wheelchair users is now pushing for a solution to enable them to access transport for appointments and socialising.
Group member Lyall Allan, 64, from Buckhaven, says he is often “trapped” as he cannot book a taxi.
“I feel like a prisoner some weeks because I can’t go out,” he said.
Meanwhile, 29-year-old Leven woman Reagan Vettrino has found herself stuck in hospital for extra nights until accessible transport is secured.
She has until now relied on her 79-year-old grandfather to fold her wheelchair and lift it into his car.
But she fears he is becoming less able to do that and a taxi will become her only lifeline.
The pair are among dozens of people calling for more accessible taxis across Fife.
They have teamed up with Levenmouth taxi operator Andy Nisbet, one of the few companies to run a cab with room for a wheelchair.
He takes as many bookings as he can through his company One 2 One Taxis but is dismayed by the number of people he has to turn away.
“I’m so busy I’ve had to let people down,” he said.
Lack of accessible taxis is a huge issue in FifeThe group describes Andy as like the fourth emergency service.
However, he is in such high demand across the whole of Fife he is often booked a week or more in advance.
He feels under pressure to the extent he is reluctant to take a holiday or a day off.
And he feels guilty when he has to turn a potential customer down.
Those have included care home residents travelling to doctor’s appointments, someone going to a family member’s funeral and a woman who wanted to vote.
The group has been lobbying Fife Council’s licensing service and politicians for months in a bid to find a solution.
However, Andy’s suggestion of the council buying taxis and leasing them to companies struggling with the initial outlay has been ruled out as too expensive.
Councillor Louise Kennedy-Dalby, a member of the Fife regulation committee which oversees taxi services, has been working with the group.
The SNP councillor also uses a wheelchair and agrees the lack of accessible options is a huge issue.
Finding a way forward is now high on the committee’s agenda.
‘Should not be a big problem to solve’“Wheelchair-accessible vehicles is an item in need of urgent assessment,” she said.
“If you look at the Fife Council website it looks as though there are quite a few taxi companies with accessible vehicles.
“But most of them are tied into school contracts and aren’t available for public journeys.
“Over the last year or two it has got predominantly worse.
https://wpcluster.dctdigital.com/wp-con ... 6x1024.jpg“You can see people all over Facebook asking for contacts for companies that can take a wheelchair.
“This isn’t sustainable in the long-term but it shouldn’t be a big problem to solve.”
The Courier highlighted the issue two years ago when St Andrews wheelchair user Paul Bartlett called on Fife Council to follow Dundee’s example.
Dundee has more than 300 accessible taxis, around half its fleet, thanks to a policy of limiting new taxi licences but approving applications for wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
Fife licensing chiefs said then they were monitoring the situation and may consider a similar approach to Dundee.
Council looking for public feedbackThis week, they said they are in discussion with taxi operators.
And they will be talking to other local authorities to see how they have approached the issue.
Team manager Steven Paterson said a six-month pilot in east Fife last year hoped to encourage operators to invest in accessible vehicles and make them available to wheelchair users daily.
However, there was no interest and no uptake of the scheme.
The recent introduction of an on-demand, council-run bus service, known as Go-Flexi, has improved accessible transport in some parts of Fife.
But Mr Paterson added: “We’d welcome feedback from members of the public to better understand their concerns and to explore any alternatives.”
Login
Register
FAQ
