Cabs blasted for ‘failing their disabled customers’
Glasgow evening times!
Ann Edmonds looks after her disabled parents Eric and Rae but regularly has problems finding a cab that can safely carry wheelchairs, despited Glasgow Taxis claiming all their cars cater for disabled people
THE daughter of two elderly disabled people has blasted Glasgow's largest taxi group claiming its fleet is not fit to serve wheelchair users.
Ann Edmonds, who looks after her parents Rae and Eric at their home in Knightswood, often has to take the couple to hospital appointments.
But Ann said that despite asking Glasgow Taxis for "facility cabs" that are fully kitted-out to secure passengers in wheelchairs, she is routinely confronted by taxis that can't do the job.
And instead Ann, 52, says she sometimes has to wedge her mum's chair into a cab with her own feet to stop it moving around dangerously.
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Rae, who is 81 and partially sighted, is fighting her third battle with cancer after developing tumours in her lungs.
But Ann said they both had to risk their health when they took taxis because many of the vehicles in the city's fleet of black cabs are not up to standard.
The last straw came before one trip to take her mum to the New Beatson at Gartnavel for treatment.
The former teacher said: "When the car came it was falling to bits. The clamps couldn't even reach the seat to secure.
"But when I asked the driver to have them send a cab that was safe he just got annoyed."
Mr Edmond, who is 80, uses a wheelchair after suffering three strokes.
He also went through an ordeal when his wheelchair was not secured properly and the driver took a corner at speed.
His daughter said: "The chair spun round and he ended up facing the wrong way while I screamed at the driver to stop the taxi."
Ann said she now has to adopt extreme measures if she doesn't have time to wait for a replacement cab.
She said: "Sometimes I have to sit opposite and brace the wheels of the chair with my feet."
Glasgow Taxis prides itself on being wheelchair friendly and its website boasts: "We are proud that all of our taxis are accessible to persons in wheelchairs and we do our best to ensure that disabled persons are made to feel socially inclusive."
The company refused to offer anyone to comment on Ann's complaint despite several requests.
Ann added: "When I visit Edinburgh there's no problem because every taxi has to be inspected and tested.
"Why is that not happening in Glasgow?"
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "The adaptation of taxis to accommodate wheelchair users is less a licensing matter than one of the operator's obligations under disability discrimination legislation.
"However, any such equipment would be inspected along with the rest of the vehicle and would require to be safe for use."
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