Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers filmed turning away disabled passengers




Taxi drivers in Bristol are breaking the law by turning away some disabled passengers, an ITV investigation has found.

The City Council says it will launch an inquiry after we filmed hackney drivers telling a woman in a wheelchair they couldn't give her a lift.

Kate Sweetman, who uses an electric wheelchair because she has multiple sclerosis, missed a concert after travelling from her home in Chippenham to Bristol because no hackney cab could take her to the venue.

ITV West Country filmed with her in Bristol city centre as four out of five drivers she approached said they were unable to help:

Reasons they gave included the size of her chair or weight restrictions on their vehicles. One didn't have suitable ramps to get Kate into the back of the vehicle. Kate says her chair is no wider than a manually operated one.

"It makes you feel like a second-class citizen," she said. "It smacks your disability in your face. Everywhere should be suitable for anybody to use. Your human right should be for you to use anything the same as anybody else."

The chair of the Public Safety and Protection Committee, Cllr Sultan Khan Chair, told us drivers were committing a criminal offence by not taking Kate.

"They shouldn't be doing that," he added. "We can suspend their licence, we can revoke it if necessary. The bottom line is the hackney vehicles are wheelchair accessible and nothing can prevent them from taking passengers, whatever their disability."

He said the local authority would be investigating the findings and reviewing its policies. It also intends to carry out undercover spot-checks.
The City Council issues just under 1,000 hackney cab licences in Bristol.

The Bristol Disability Equality Forum told us Kate's experience was 'depressingly common'.

source: http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/201 ... assengers/

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

Kate Sweetman, who uses an electric wheelchair because she has multiple sclerosis, missed a concert after travelling from her home in Chippenham to Bristol because no hackney cab could take her to the venue.

Maybe the chair exceeded the safe limit of their ramps

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

Yeah, I bet those drivers knew that too

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

Rear entry WAVs is the answer.

But many folks on here think they are spawn of the devils.

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IDFIMH

nah the community transport groups vehicle of choice which is why people on here hate them

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

do you really think that would make a difference to the attitude?

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

no, no it doesn't ( i have one ) although SHE did say the first one was too steep so not his fault, also why didn't she just get fooking adrian to take her in the first place !! LOOK AT ME!!!!, give up with these people tbh

Nahhh I hate them because they do it under the pretence of being a Community type charity using volunteer drivers on 45P a mile...whilst their High Heid yins take less than charitable status chunky Salaries.