Taxi Driver Online

Answer me this question?? Why are passengers sitting in the crumple zone? In all the conversions passengers aren't given a chance if the vehicle is shunted from behind, the seats are to close to the back doors. a couple of inches to be exact.

no need to worry Nige, an engine is at the front of most cars and if its a bad shunt it can come through and cut the drivers legs off.

in most towns people take a driving test to avoid shunts and on top of this local councils do thier best to ensure traffic does not move.

your concern about road safety is impressive, your knowledge of it is woefully lacking.

Seems like a way to get into the trade on the cheap.

Wow! i think im actually agreeing with nidge!

I dont think nidge was actually talking about the driver, I think he was pointing out that you cant get a wheelchair bound passenger out of the back if you have a rear end shunt.

regards

Captain Cab

Think this could be said for almost any wavs in various types of crashes.
Regarding the Doblo,the passenger in the wheelchair is not up against the back door,although in a bad rear smash,there would be difficulty in escaping.
Again this could said with the majority of WAVS,and in the TXii,s case,I find it difficult in getting the customer in!,never mind out.
Although everyone is different,I think it is easier(may not in others opinions)entering my a full ramp from the rear of the vehicle.

ELLGO"2

dear boy

if there is a rear shunt, isnt it either because a driver has reversed into something or a driver has run into the back of him?

lets have some sense talking, some of these doublos carry more disabled passengers that a rank full of tx2s

only you and Nige think they are used for dodgems.

his point like yours was to do them and thier owners down, like you say a cheap way into the trade?

should everybody be made to go expensive ?

bit like the Brighton argument to show commitment?

The taxis are needed that do the job, no more no less.

Naa they look like dogems too

Captain cab

People should commit to the job, if this comes financially through the price of a WAV then fine, what I dont want to see is someone come into the job work 2-3 days/nights over the weekend and then call themselves a taxi driver who gives a service to the public.

I dont say the idea is right or wrong, all the trade needs is committed people.

As for my feelings about the vehicle, I still think their dangerous, there is no method of escape for a wheelchair bound passenger through another exit.

I think you'll find that some licensing authorities have banned other vehicles or ensured that seats are removed for the same reasons for able bodied passengers. Such as the Toyota Previa and even the Ford Galaxy type vehicles.

Regards

Captain Cab

Let me tell you pal, a lot of the real committed ones who shell out the cash would not dream of stopping for a wheelchair passenger, lets stick to the facts shall we?

The Dublo will carry more wheelchair passengers than the nations TX2 by a long chalk.

in many families they have given freedom to the wheelchair bound

now it isnt commitment you want its the monopoly, and given that monopoly you will imprison wheelchair passengers, by lack of service.

Its should be up to each taxi owner which car they use in thier proffession
councils have no right to lay down the law given the vehicles they use!

Guest,

You ask me to stick to facts, yet you appear to be telling me that if I drive a TX I dont stop for a wheelchair passenger, but if I drive a dobilo I will?

I dont honestly think a wheelchair bound passenger is bothered how they get from A to B, so long as they get there, like the majority of able bodied passengers.

As for the real committed ones who shell out lots of cash and dont do wheelchair work, they are of course breaking the DDA, they should have there licenses revolked unless they are physically unable to load a wheelchair.

It should not be up to the driver what to use as a taxi, councils have every right to say what can and what cannot be taxis in their district, given that each district is different.

The dobilo is still in my opinion unsafe.

Please note I am not stating that the TX is any better or worse, but there is an escape route.

Regards

Captain Cab

Captain,
with respect to your first paragraph I said no such thing, how the hell do I know whether or not you pick up wheelchair passengers?

Though many taxi drivers have said on here and other forums, quite cynicaly that although they run WAVs they would not stop for such passengers.

I find it quite sick when there is this talk of commitment, you say that means spending £30,000 on an LTI, whilst ANDY ARGUES ITS SPENDING £30,000 ON A PLATED SALOON.

Many families have a doblo as a family car and you say they are unsafe, the use and construction regulations say you are wrong.

You say councils are entitled to say which vehicles can be used, in a way tou are right, they can set down criterion but go no further, they coundnt say this make or that make is out, if the doblo had a 25 foot turning circle it could be used in London.

We have not got an ideal vehicle for carrying disabled passengers, all carry using best practicable means.

It is very important we get more such vehicles on our ranks, in doing so we have to be pragmatic, with an ever increasing elderly population we must be mindfull that we can carry these people, and not exclude them throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

Our cab internal layout has barely changed since the taxi went motorised and itself bears the layout of the horse drawn coach, since then the ambulance and social and age profile has massively changed from a life expectancy of about 40 to one over double that figure.

I personaly would not choose a doblo, but I would not choose the LTI either
its worthy of not that local authorities would or do not either.

the LTO does not figure highly among the elderly persons home, the nursing home, or the disability institution.

Geoff

They aint two inches from the back door in my Merc. In fact, not seen a conversion where they are. Wrong again Nidge.

Wheelchair passengers come out the side door in my Merc.

Look at the Fiats, a grand total of 1 inches between the headrest and the back door. You can't get ya hands between the space.

I've no problem with the Eurocabs nor the Mercs, indeed we run some on our fleet, they are capable vehicles, but i think rear loading is dangerous for the passenger.

Firstly, what happens with rear loading if you get a wheelchair job from a congested rank, although this isnt the key point.

Secondly, the rear of the vehicle is the most vunerable.

Thirdy, there is no way out if there is a rear end shunt.

Forthly, you have to load wheelchairs very often in a rear loading WAV from the road, most accidents happen on the road rather than on the pavement.

Fifthly, Radar the disabled persons group who are concerned with wheelchairs have apparently stated that many of they members feel it is undignified to be loaded into a vehicle from the gutter.

Sixthly, I understand that the doblo has not got the european specification it claims (ECWVTA), i believe this is going to the ASA because of the inaccurate advertising surrounding the vehicle.

Regards

Captain Cab

Why would you want to put your hand there anyway?