Taxi Driver Online

how can it be that some of the elderly taxi drivers who have WA taxis are being forced to push heavy wheelchairs up ramps

i noticed the other day one driver aged 68 years old just doing that, when some of the younger drivers of WA are or seem to have medical except

this cant be right

the same driver told me he that he was the only WA on a rank when a wheelchair user came up and wanted a taxi

the wheelchair user said his batteries are flat, i can get out of the elecric wheel chair buggy but you will have to lift the electric wheelchair inside the cab to which the driver did , this is not right and should not be allowed

where my wife works, Ministry of Defence [MOD], she is not allowed to lift more than 2kg or climb any step above 2 rungs [as in ladder]

lets not go down the road that the elderly taxi driver should not be doing the job if he cant do wheelchairs, he still has a right to work

If the batteries were flat how the hell did he get it to the rank? The driver can still refuse on the grounds of health and safety if the chair is too heavy.

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Grandad,

I just bet there is quiet a few accidents/Incidents where wheelchair ramps are involved..not just in Taxiing but in the Voluntary and ambulance services etc, more than likely no one from the disability groups are advertising the the true extent of wheelchair incidents for fear of bad lighting their own accesabilty Ideals..

It’s all gone Pete Tong, I will say it again WAV's are not suitable for taxis unless they have a suitable chair lift! The drivers H & S should take president over the chair user. Some LA's say WAV's should be side loading. They should also have a chair lift.
Statistics on pushing and pulling from RIDDOR
Statistics can be seen below that give you an idea of how important it is to eliminate or reduce pushing and pulling risk factors.

11% of manual handling - related RIDDOR accidents investigated by HSE involved pushing and pulling.
The most frequently reported site of injury was the back (44%).
Followed by the upper limbs (shoulder, arms, wrist and hand) accounted for 28.6%.
12% more accidents involved pulling than pushing (where the activity could be identified within the reports).
61% of accidents involved pushing and pulling objects that were not supported on wheels (e.g. bales, desks etc.)
35% of pushing and pulling accidents involved wheeled objects.
Strenuous Pushing or Pulling
Pushing or pulling can place the handler at risk of injury particularly if it is carried out with the hands below knuckle height, above shoulder height or if the action is jerky. The condition of the floor and the type of shoes worn by the handler should also be considered, as the risk of slipping can be significant. Floors that are wet, greasy or which have a loose or uneven surface increase the risks.

To get a load moving when pushing or pulling it, a reasonable force to apply is up 25kg. After it is moving a force of up to 10kg is reasonable to keep it in motion. These are not maximum limits but are likely to enable the majority of people to carry out the task with minimal risk of injury. The forces involved in pushing and pulling can be measured with a spring balance if necessary.
The LA's are negligent in their approval for WAV's due to the lack of a driver Risk Assessment before the vehicle implementation. Cities that have been WA vehicles should now still be able to use the vehicles for able bodied PPL but all side loading WAV's should cease wheel chair operations immediately.

Dont worry

When a driver has a heart attack, hernia, stroke, torn ligaments or other life-threatening or work-denying conditions that stop him enjoying a full and profitable life there is one thing to remember























another WAV can take the passenger

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

IMO...a 68yr old should be retired !!

Now ! thats one way of reducing the numbers....but then again it's Taxi Drivers we're talking here..

Never let go of nothing...

This means that 35% of WAV drivers are going to have an accident whilst they push a wheelchair up a 1 in 3 ramp.

There would only be me, Mr acabbie and half a dozen others left in London if that ever happened.

We have guys who are 86 still out there.

Is that because they have forgotten the way home?

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Grandad,

Passenger is wrong, something this heavy is driver discretion.
He can if he wants but he is not compelled to do so.

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

It all boils down to drivers being their own worst enemy, the younger ones run a mile at the sight of a wheel chair so only the older more responsible drivers take on the task of loading them, where is the enforcement, non existent

why?

if they are passed fit and want (or need) tp work who are you to deny them?

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

I employ a 68 year old and a 64 year old.

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Grandad,

yeah, but your older than THEM...

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most