Taxi Driver Online

WHY WOULDN'T CITY TAXI DRIVERS TAKE ME HOME?

A Wheelchair user has claimed several taxis in the city centre refused to pick him up - even though their cabs had full disabled access. Sam Challenger, aged 27, had been out in Bristol with a friend. But when it came to the end of the night, he says five taxi drivers refused to take him because they could not get his wheelchair into their vehicles.

The city council, which licenses the hackney cabs, has issued an apology following the incident on September 24.

Mr Challenger, a learning support assistant from Poole, in Dorset, said: "It was a bit of a joke. My friend went to a taxi rank down from Jongleurs and had a discussion with someone. I'm not sure what was said but she came back in a right rage."

Mr Challenger and his friend, Catherine Burke, had been spending the night at the new nightclub, Oceana. At about 3.30am they tried to get a taxi from Baldwin Street, but Ms Burke says one of the drivers would not take Mr Challenger because he was a man. Another said he did have a ramp in his car but did not know how to use it.

Mr Challenger said: "I think the fact the driver would have picked me up if I was a woman really annoyed me. "It has never happened to me before and has left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. "This was my first time in Bristol and I'm reluctant to come back because of what has happened. In future I think I will invite Cat to come to Poole."

Mr Challenger, who was left paralysed from the chest down after a motorbike accident, says the drivers all said they could not get his wheelchair into their taxis.

Ms Burke, who works in advertising, said: "We were on Baldwin Street and I went and asked the taxi driver if he could take us home. "He asked me if the other person was a female and, when I said it was a man, he told me to go to another taxi rank. "It was a hackney cab licensed by the city council. I went to the rank on the centre and they all shrugged their shoulders and could not be bothered.

"One driver said he had a ramp but no instructions with him so he did not feel safe operating it. That's just not acceptable. "Another driver from a private hire firm told me to report them. He had a go at them and said they were a disgrace."

Ms Burke claims the private hire driver told her that all the taxis waiting at the rank were fitted with wheelchair ramps and could have taken Mr Challenger. In the end, the same driver took Mr Challenger and Ms Burke back to her home in St George.

"Sam was disgusted by it," said Ms Burke. "We had been in places during the night with such good facilities, but not to be able to get home afterwards was astonishing. I can understand the hassle it must be for the drivers, but it's part of their job and it's not on to leave a disabled person in the rain."

Brian Howard, from Tripscope, an organisation which provides transport information to disabled people, said taxi drivers should know how to operate the ramps in their own vehicles. He said: "It is galling for a disabled person to see taxis going by without picking them up.

"The Disability Discrimination Act will make it illegal for drivers to refuse to pick up disabled people on the basis of their disability. "We do hear a number of stories about taxis not picking up wheelchair users, or drivers not being able to operate their access ramps. "But if you have that equipment, you should know how to use it. "In Bristol it is not law for all taxis to have disabled access, like it is in London, so there is a mix."

Clive Burdett, from the Transport and General Workers Union, which represents taxi drivers, said Mr Challenger's experience was rare. He said: "He must have been unlucky that night. We all pick people up who are disabled or in wheelchairs. "If he has an issue with a particular driver, he should report him to the city council. It is not the case that taxi drivers in Bristol ignore wheelchair-users."

Council spokeswoman Lynda Wookey said: "The council sincerely apologises to the gentleman. "Council policy says all hackney taxis should be accessible. If the gentleman has the licence numbers of the taxis concerned, disciplinary action against the drivers could be brought."

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IDFIMH

Over to you Ali and Skull, an area you specialise in if I remember correctly.

Congratulations, Bristol Taxi drivers!

Now this has been brought to the attention of your LA, (wether or not the story is an "exaggeration" of events,) you have just arranged for yourselves and your colleagues, a training course, which you will be compelled to attend, and which you will be required to pay for (about £60 should do it) In my experience, (13 years in accessible Taxi's) wheelchair users (get the politically correct terminology right,) require my services about once every leap year. Be nice through gritted teeth as you get your ramps out, and secure the passenger correctly in place, just like in the LTI video, and all will be sweetness and light. Step out of (PC) line, and guarantee yourself a call from the licensing department.

So several drivers won't take a chair, but Mr T&G says 'we all' pick up the disabled

But he's probably correct since most chairs probably arise during the day, whereas the night drivers probably don't see many. And once one has refused, it's perhaps not surprising that the others follow suit.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

same thing happens down here.
drivers say yes to plates if wheelchair and then go out of there way to service those customers.
except me of course. im a good lad.