Taxi Driver Online

at present n/tyneside will not plate any new vehicle except pco spec, if iwant to apply for aplate it means there is only one new vehicle ican use i/e the tx2 as the rest are not made anymore i/e tx1 fairways metro cab is this legal as this creates a monopoly for new vehicles

Sadly it's not illegal. Look at London, Manchester, they are all the TX version. Take a conversion vehicle to your Council like they did down here, they can either say yes or no. It doesn't cost you anything.

I think the TXII debate is just about to get interesting. Two County Councils are discussing banning all TX-type cabs from schools contracts (they are already not allowed on WAV schools in our area).

If memory serves me right then the problem is the way the wheel-chair is facing whilst in transit.

But the TX2 only situation may be looked at again. Firstly OFT didn't like it, and the Gov may take notice in the guidance, and secondly London may be about to fall open to the E7 and the Mercs.

Cab-direct have halted a legal challenge to the London TX2 only situation, to allow a face saving retreat from Red Ken.

Now if they can get into London, then I can't see why they can't sort your mob out either.

_________________
IDFIMH

in all likelyhood it is illeagle.
pont one a council has to be reasonable.
even in London you can put seccond hand vehicles on.

point two what relevance has London with North Tynside?

find out who lti are looking after, they should be out of a job.

Geoff

Partly right Sussex. Our County Council say there are two reasons why TXIIs cannot be used.

First, because of the whiplash problem to the neck of the wheelchair passenger

Second because the non-fixed ramps can slip off when loading causing serious injury.

This second point also applies to conversions, although the conversions in our area use Koller fixed or slot-in ramps or similar now.

I fancy that the first reason could also be overcome if some suitable head-restraint was fitted.

They say they are not fundamentally against rear facing seats, but against flimsy fold up seats that have little of no crash resistance or protection against the passengers head being whipped nastily through the partion glass in a head on scenario.

I've just read it again, and there is another reason - which, interestingly, could also apply to conversions.

Three-pount restraints that are floor fixing only, apparently have the wrong angle of dangle or whatever. If the strap comes from a floor mount, and the passenger is sitting quite high in their wheelchair and upright, then the mechanics of the scenario suggest that the shoulder and neck will receive quite serious injury as a result of the snatvh momentum putting forces on the passengers back from totally the wrong angle.

Now get this:

The recommendation "wherever practicable" is to seat the customer in a proper M1/M2 approved seat and carry the wheelchair separately.

Thus, what I reckon, is that for every WAV we will also need a saloon. So that the WAV can carry the empty chair, and the saloon can carry the actual punter. Cos I can't usually get disabled people in my WAV, UNLESS they are in a wheelchair.

A very sophisticated piece of buck-passing eh? Just in case there is an accident, then they can say "we told you not to carry them in untested wheelchairs"

this e-mail is the biggest load of crap I have ever witnessed!

put the passenger in the wheelchair put it in the cab and allow her to transfer seats!

I bet you got your wav on a free plate and you are lobbying for a salloon?

I think you ought not to be in the trade at all.

I don't think he was agreeing with the suggestion, just pointing out the ridiculous situations that may occur.

Calm down Mr Yorkie.

_________________
IDFIMH

Sorry Yorkie. My post was FACT.

You may not like it, but the diabled hate my WAV unless they are in a wheelchair.

And, Yes, I did get my plate for free. But so does everyone here. And I don't need to lobby for a saloon as I can have saloons if I want.

The decision to spend more than £30,000 and buy a WAV was entirely my own. But it is a decision I regret, as the elderly and many non wheelchair disabled wont get in it. Sadly, while we will always maintain WAVs on our fleet, it is unlikely that I will ever buy another.

I hate to say this, but those who campaign for the disabled, do not always say the same things as the disabled people do themselves. And that is a shame.

_________________
There is Significant Unmet Demand for my Opinion.

You only want a hack in NT so you can flimp the Toon, There isnt enough work in Whitley Bay and Tynemouth for the hacks NT already has!