Taxi Driver Online

Dumfries taxis slated for lack of disabled access


ONLY four percent of taxis in Dumfries have access for disabled passengers.

Regional co-ordinator for the Coalition of Disabled People, John Dowson, blasted the figure as “lamentable” this week and urged the council not to renew taxi licences unless operators are prepared to put accessible vehicles on the street.

He said: “We have been raising concerns about the accessibility and safety issues of taxis in the region for years.

“Taxis should be taken off the road completely until they are accessible, as they are discriminating against disabled people.

“We should be following the likes of South Ayrshire Council where 100 per cent of their taxis are accessible and also have meters.

“In this region, some disabled people think they are being overcharged.

“It’s a lottery in Dumfries and Galloway because you don’t know how much the fare is going to be.

“A condition of the licence should be that every vehicle is metered.”

Mr Dowson added: “Four per cent is a shocking figure which must be addressed.

“It’s time for Dumfries and Galloway Council to do something about it.

“Councillors have run away from this for years because they know operators don’t want to do it because it will cost them money.”

Presently, there are only 11 accessible taxis and private hire vehicles in Annan, Eskdale and Nithsdale, three in Wigtownshire and none in the Stewartry.

Ian Walker of the Accessible Transport Forum said: “We have had feedback in the past that disabled people are not satisfied with the number of accessible taxis in the region.

“Disabled people are obviously in a very disadvantaged position if there are no accessible taxis in the Stewartry.

“We would like to see more taxis accessible, although I don’t see the need for 100 per cent of them to be.

“We would also like to see meters in all taxis, but it’s not that simple.

“As well as the initial cost to buy them, they are very expensive to maintain.

“The accuracy of the meters also has to be checked every year.”

The Standard recently revealed that only half of all taxis in Dumfries are not fit to be on the road.

Police figures showed that 43 per cent of taxis and private hire cars stopped, failed road safety inspections.

Dumfries Councillor David McKie said he was “alarmed” at the figures, and called for tougher measures to be put in place so that taxis are up to an acceptable standard to carry passengers.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Perhaps Mr John Dowson should find out the difference between a taxi and a PH.

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

Disgraceful almost as bad as the Scottish Borders, we need legislation to sort out these areas where the wheelchair bound can't get taxis.

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

There are around 20 WAVs in the Borders over half have never carried a wheelchair and are by-passed by the public on the rank even 1 punter who is in a chair prefers a saloon and refuses to get into a WAV

Kettle calling i think CC

Not really, what you need up there is a WAV only policy, thus ensuring you all comply with the DDA.

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

We are complying they say as many different types of vehicle

Apart from those that sit on things called taxi ranks

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Have to agree, Cap. What the borders need is 100% WAV.

Does the Scottish parliament have a petitions website?

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Former taxi driver

Crank...Crank...Crank...whirrrr....whirrr, Is that the sound of winding up I hear??


This is the borders....the land of the poor, If they said it was to be WAV only then it would be unaffordable, there just isnt the work to merit the costs, we'd love to be more obliging to the DDA. If every vehicle had to be a WAV then we would only have a quarter of the Taxis that there are now and yes..the wheelchair bound would be well served but hardly anybody else would be.

You high flying multi Millionaire city taxi boys just dont see how it is here, Taxi drivers begging in the streets and worse the poor PH having to go to the soup kitchen for hand outs...

Not too sure, but I suppose letters from Lincoln and Carlisle to the council and the local rag pointing out our obvious dismay at the supply of wavs wouldn't go amiss.

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Possibly

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Oh...and whilst your on to them....ask them how many dozens of charity wheels group are operating in the area...the ones that do it for free with nice new charity paid vehicles, and who makes it impossible for anyone else to remotely have a chance of doing it for profit. the wheelchair users are catered for by many groups. anyways, wasnt the original gripe about the Dumfries area.

Skippy doesnt work there

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Now why Didnt I think of that