Taxi Driver Online

Strangely, or not as the case maybe, the turning circle doesn't appear in the Draft technical specifications.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/ope ... chspec.pdf

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IDFIMH

Why should all the private hire trade have to be wheelchair accessible.. or haven't you noticed they are referring to private hire as well

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

When the DFT sent out its consultation document over best practice.. there were only 95-97 replies from the entire United Kingdom..... the mismatch that you now have that is called best-practice is because nobody replied,
Make no mistake everyone is going to be affected by the outcome of this consultation document... it will be of no cost to the Government.... only to you.....

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I'm 100% certain that wont happen.

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IDFIMH

Seems to me that those PH's operating in the future will if required have to run the much more expensive WAVs just as in the same way Taxis may have to operate WAVs..the PH operator might change from being PH to Taxi as the WAV used will cost more or less the same..this would not be a problem to switch licence types in most deregulated areas of the country.

The outcome of this would be tens of thousands more Taxis in the country...these new taxis directly competing with established taxis in order to cover the costs of the more expensive WAVS, this would make it more difficult for TAXIs as they have more Direct competition from vehicles that previously only took pre booked work.

Makes me think that there will be no winners on the PH / Taxi side of things...it would surely be in the best interests of both groups to see limits set on WAVs relevant to fleet size for sizable PH or Taxi operators, and leaving the smaller owner/operator of both Taxi and PH to make up their own mind as to what type of vehicle they run.

If they insist on Evey vehicle being a WAV the extra cost would only serve to drive poorer area Taxis and Ph's out of business and thus making it even harder to find any form of Taxi /PH type transport in large parts of the country.

Is it not better to have an adequate number of adequate Taxis and PH's serving everyone in the country than having a vastly diminished number of specialist vehicles serving only a few whilst denying the vast majority an adequate number of Available Taxis and PHs...

Is there anywhere in that report that suggests there may become available financial assistant or subsidy etc. for those taxi drivers that are prepared to go to the extra expense of having a WAV. Also I think a mixed fleet of HC should be available as I have said before not all disabled people can get into HC and be comfortable but not all councils will licence saloon vehicles as HC. If 100% WAV's is a requirement for HC then the council will be neglecting a larger % of disabled people then it will serve.

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Does anybody know what % of disabled people are actually wheelchair users and of that what % of wheelchair users have to remain in their wheelchair to make journeys in taxis

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Im guessing the people that are pushing for such things would rather not say....if it was only one in the whole of britain that needed a WAV there would still be those that would say every vehicle would need to be changed just in case that person happened to want to use yours....

We know its good to help, we are by nature a helpful trade..but we cant screw our lively hoods up and cause inconvenience to the majority to appease those in authority in the name of the Minority..there must be a natural and realistic balance struck and that balance should be the same ratio of WAVS as wheelchair dependant only clients to non wheelchair dependant clients. after all every car parking space at the supermarket does not have to be wheelchair user friendly...only a percentage of them...probably 1 in 50 is so designed...so why should we have to be 100% compliant..it'll scuttle a lot of, i know I personally couldnt afford the costs..one Ph is a Saloon and the other an 8 seater...I couldnt function without an 8 seater for certain runs and theres no way an 8 seater vehicle could double up as a WAV unless it was a hulking great minibus at a mega price adapted to do both jobs..how eco friendly would that be...

Lets say that if there is to be a 1 in 10 WAV rule..well then the government or charitable groups should step in to assist with the cost, that would make it more appealing to cash strapped business that would genuinely like to help but not go bust in the process of doing so...

Are you all sitting down, I have just had a thought
All disabled people receive DLA (disability living allowance)
All they have to do is contact them all, as they have the records of all of them, and ask them directly what they prefer to travel in and include a stamped return envelope

Skippy your a genius if you say so yourself

My knowledge of the DDA is limited....... but what I do know is that the Government (Conservative) gave LTI a grant of approximately 2 million to come up with a wheelchair accessible taxi.... then the government( labour) when it took power had to continue with the Act, trains buses shops and buildings were pretty easy to control...... But the Independent Taxi Trade/ private hire was and is a different matter.

The OFT recommendations to derestrict the Hackney Trade was very convenient, especially as the recommendations where to issue licences to wheelchair accessible vehicles, I personally think the OFT report was written well in advance of the investigation into the Hackney Trade...... which incidentally was also supposed to include the private hire, but didn't.

It has become obvious that derestriction has not achieved the numbers of vehicles they feel they need, plus the disabled lobby has thrown a spanner into the works by pointing out that not all disabled are in wheelchairs.

So what are the options left to them .. from this consultation document it is obvious that they have taken note of the numbers relating to private hire, in my opinion it would be easier for them to instruct local councils that replacement and new vehicles must be wheelchair acceptable..... transit rear loading type vehicles maybe.

Hackney's... they can't really insist that owners of saloon vehicles change then for wheelchair accessible.... and issuing more licences has not worked.

Just my point of view.... so what does the trade do next....

ps... anyone thinking along the lines of subsidies can forget it.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Is that gunsmoke from the grassy knowle...?


Over 40% WAV here, should reach 50% before any of this gets implemented. Much lower where licences are restricted though.


This should have been evident from the start. All disabled people have the same rights under the DDA. The small minority of wheelchair users have always been the most vocal because they had the most difficulty using existing transport. Other types of disabled people have been slower to realise that many of the changes demanded by wheelchair users have made their access problematic. They are catching up fast.


Agreed. PH are kidding themselves if they think they are going to miss out on this. I also think the additional costs involved will kill the PH trade.

Have to wonder where that will leave all those PH plated limos.


Disagree. Why can't they?
If they can do it to PH, they can do it to saloon HC as well.


It will never work while councils continue to restrict vehicle numbers.


Definitely agree here. Giving £millions to taxi drivers/owners is a political non starter, even in more prosperous times.

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

2.22 The DfT, local authorities and others could consider in detail the potential costs and benefits of national and/or local financial or other incentives to encourage drivers and operators to purchase vehicles that offered greater levels of accessibility. For example, it has been suggested that there should be reduced Vehicle Excise Duty for taxis designated as being accessible, or there could be reduced licence fees, or accessible taxis could be allowed access to all areas – for example, interchanges that are currently only serviced by private hire vehicles or bus lanes.

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IDFIMH

Wow that would convince me to make the extra investment.............NOT

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Grandad,

Depends.

Car tax up to £400.

License fees up to, say £300.

Reduced permit fees, if made statutory, up to, say £500.

Access to bus lanes not presently allowed, well some might say that's priceless.

And access to places where only PH have permits to pick up, well I would say that could be fun if nothing else.

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IDFIMH

We already get reduced license fees for WAVs. 25% reduction. Car tax is not £400 on a WAV though is it. What we do know is that a WAV costs more than £10,000 more than a saloon car so the savings would have to be considerable to make it worth while.

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Grandad,