Taxi Driver Online

Fears voiced over taxi decision


OBJECTIONS to a council decision to allow the use of rear-loading vehicles as taxis have been voiced by a disability group.

The move, passed by Slough Borough Council on Monday last week, allows rear-loading vehicles to operate as taxis, whereas previously only side-loading vehicles were licensed.

Daphne White from Disability Together, in Apsley House, Stratfield Road, Slough, said: "I would never use one if I was disabled, I just don't think it's safe."

She added taxi drivers are not trained to work with wheelchair users and that

special providers such as Out And About, a door-to-door service for people in Slough with difficulty using public transport, are better adapted to helping people with disabilities.

Ms White said Disability Together, which works with organisations, community groups and individuals to promote the inclusion of disabled people of Slough and the surrounding area, was not made aware of the motion.

Charities such as RADAR and SCOPE have raised concerns that users would be seated in the 'crumple zone' at the back of the vehicle, risking serious injury.

In a letter to Slough Borough Council, Secretary of Slough Taxi Drivers Union, Mohammed Mustafa, said: "The safety of the customer is paramount for all taxi drivers in Slough."

He added the Union believes rear-loading taxis are safer than side-loading taxis, as well as being cheaper to buy and maintain.

Bracknell Forest, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and West Berkshire have already licensed rear-loading vehicles as taxis.

Slough Borough Council's Licensing Manager Mick Sims said the Council had discussed the move with a number of groups, including organisations supporting the elderly and the disabled, and the safety of passengers was taken into account.

http://www.sloughobserver.co.uk/news/sl ... -decision/

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

So we can presume the quality control has now ended in Slough?

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

She added taxi drivers are not trained to work with wheelchair users and that


Yes they are in Lincolnshire you have to pass a training course to be allowed to do contracts involving wheelchairs I assume other local authorities do the same and there are sections on wheelchair loading and unloading in the NVQ

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Well don't then. Book a side loader.

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IDFIMH

This is the Caddy Maxlife they are on about, I think it's going to be unworkable on a rank anyway, you have to get the long ramps out, hook up a winch iirc and as the lady says the person is then sat in the crush zone, something I think should've been looked at before licencing Tourans and Zafiras as 6 seaters myself, a Galaxy and WA vehicles at least offer a bit of protection due to sitting up higher in them, but in any case logic says side load is easier.

Its obvious it comes down to price, its nice they admitted it, I wonder how long it'll be till the calls of too many taxis are heard?

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

Straight after the local Sussex plates his one no doubt.

Going to be a real hardship moving the cab 5 yards forward?

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IDFIMH

That is where your PH brain shows itself to not know too much about the HC trade, pray do tell how how it moves forwards when it's got 5 other cabs infront of it on the rank and the front cars don't wish to or can't move until they get a job themselves?

So the only cabs leaving the rank are the ones at the front? No cab ever leaves the rank from the middle?

May I suggest this ground breaking suggestion. The rear-entry vehicle moves from the middle of the rank, if he is there, and drives whole few yards to the front, and loads the WAV customer from there.

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IDFIMH

Ahh, but you didn't say that did you, you suggested it pull forwards, as a proper WAV has a side entry with push straight in ramps, do tell me who wants to go to the palava of getting a winch out, and ime WAV driver go out of their way to avoid the disabled, I normally have to take them, quite willingly I might add as I feel for them and am grateful it's not me in the chair, plus they enjoy sitting with me out of the chair, makes em feel a bit more independent for a while, an escape if you like, no great hardship, offer an arm and fold the chair, simple innit, I could design the ideal WAV to cater for all chairs with minimum safe fuss, but like everything it's never put into practice, hell we still can't build a liner that doesn't sink easy, yet if you think about it it's simple really, but it means a bit more metal and foam and a little less space, dumbass world.

Disabled barbecue.... take one disabled person in a wheelchair and load them into the rear of a rear loading disabled vehicle... now make sure that in front of them you have a row of seats that will make it impossible for them to evacuate the vehicle from the front.. close the rear doors behind them... become involved in an accident with the car behind, Rear doors are now jammed... disabled person in the rear has a heart attack... but you can't get them out... and then you smell petrol... leaking fuel tank.... and then boom......

not a vehicle a professional taxi-driver would choose......

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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!

and would a side loading vehicle be any safer if the accident bent the chassis jamming the sliding doors shut ?

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

First, a front or rear accident would probably only damage sliding doors on one side.
Second, impact from either side would leave the other.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

both doors?

thats like saying what if Wile E. Coyote ordered a cab for roadrunner below a cliff with a massive rock

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