Taxi Driver Online

Push to ensure fair deal for disabled in taxis


The ‘unacceptable’ treatment of disabled people by taxi companies is to be tackled.

Aylesbury Vale District Council is to work with disability charity BuDs and the Spinal Injuries Association to improve access and equality.

Some vehicles are unable to take wheelchair users and there are variations in prices.

BuDs trustees chair Andrew Clark said: “I want to see a situation where a disabled person can be in Aylesbury town centre and go to a taxi rank and get a taxi just like everybody else.”

Mr Clark said the issue of pricing is a particularly difficult one to resolve.

He said: “Part of me thinks it’s unacceptable disabled people should have to pay more for the same taxi ride.

“The reality is there are very few companies that have wheelchair accessible vehicles and they cost a lot more.

“They have to get that money back which they do by charging more.”

Mr Clark recently met the council’s senior licensing officer for taxis, Kyle Bennett, to discuss the issues.

Mr Bennet said the council wants to eradicate discrimination.

He said: “This partnership will aim to tackle training for the drivers in order to increase their understanding of users with ambulatory problems.

“It will also look to ensure that prices charged for the hire of taxis are charged fairly and proportionately to all users and not penalise disabled users.”

The council will also work with private hire companies to try to make prices fairer.

http://www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/local ... -1-5184245

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

I thought WAVs had to charge no more than the price shown on the meter. PH can charge what they like.

Aye, by "fairer" do they mean run at a loss or at less profit, If the disabled want true equality then they should pay the going rate like everyone else and give TAXi's and PH's first shout over those con artist charity wheelers....

If people are genuinely Disabled and can only get around with the use of a Wheelchair then they will be receiving the Mobility allowance component on top of their other state benefits, and that is exactly what that extra travel allowance is for, to be used to pay for their additional travel costs whether they use it for Public Transport, Taxis, PH's or whether the spend it on a Mobility car.

It seems to me that even though they already receive more cash to assist their mobility they would expect us to run at less profit just to add a cherry to their Cake.

Sorry, but our families need fed and clothed to out of what we earn, and it's also us workers who pay taxes and NI which allows them to receive their state benefits and its Mobility allowance.

Some of these charities such us BudS just want it all...

So did I perhaps what they mean is loading and unloading is being charged for when it shouldn't the meter should not be started until loading is completed and stopped before unloading.

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