Taxi Driver Online

Shedload of comments on the website about this one, predictably.

Only read a few, but seems this firm is licensed in Lewes rather than Brighton & Hove, but sure someone on here will know for sure

Disabled grandmother's Christmas dinner taxi cancelled

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/1732697 ... cancelled/

A DISABLED grandmother has told of her frustration after her taxi to a Christmas dinner was cancelled.


Image: The Argus

Irene Dare, 85, who lives in a care home in Saltdean, had her South Coast taxi cancelled on the day of the family meal despite it being booked 20 days in advance.

The company, based in Saltdean, has since apologised and admitted multiple failures on its behalf.

Irene, who has rejected the offer of flowers from the taxi company, said: “We managed to get over but it wasn’t easy.

"I’ve got enough flowers, this is about the principle of the thing.”

The taxi journey from White House care home to Irene’s daughter’s house takes about four minutes.

Irene, who struggles to walk since a fall in January, was set to be seeing relatives from as far away as Iceland who had come over for the family meal on December 27.

But the taxi was cancelled the morning she was supposed to be travelling.

The family were told the only vehicle that could take her – one large enough to fit a wheelchair in the back – was on a job at Heathrow Airport.

They were also told that the taxi company had no way of fulfilling the booking made 20 days previously.

Irene’s son, Alex Dare, who lives in Spain but was visiting for Christmas, said he had to take her in his rental car, which proved a challenge.

The 60-year-old said: “When people get older, you don’t get as many family occasions so they’re very important.

“This is not the first time they have done this but before they had managed to make other arrangements.

“We got my mum into my hire car but it wasn’t easy at all.

“You can’t go on cancelling disabled people’s taxis, they shouldn’t get away with it.

“You don’t let people down like that, it’s just wrong.”


Image: The Argus

The taxi company said it had received the booking but made failures in delivering the service.

It said that despite taking bookings in advance, a driver is only found the day before.

The job was not put out to the drivers when it should have been.

The company said it was wrong to tell the family other arrangements could not have been made.

A spokesman said: “We are sincerely sorry about what has happened.

“As a token of our apologies we have offered flowers and taxi vouchers as we did let them down.

“They were very upset and they declined that offer and we are very sorry.”

Irene Dare, 85, who lives in a care home in Saltdean, had her South Coast taxi cancelled on the day of the family meal despite it being booked 20 days in advance.

The company, based in Saltdean

that's not in either Brighton or lewes but i'm sure sussex can tell us who licenses them

One of the reasons I stopped having a WAV was that Xmas day was a nightmare because it's the one day of the year the volunteer sector doesn't have drivers !!!

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

In fact it seems to be in BOTH



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltdean

Looking at the size of her I don’t think she’ll miss not eating one meal.

Me thinks that is an uncalled for remark to make.
The likes of you and remarks such as this bring our trade whether it be TAXIS or private hire into disrepute.

A Lewes licensed operator who also owns a B&H firm.

I suspect the call was taken, and the job deleted, in the B&H office.

TBH I'm amazed the local rag published such an article.

I guess the journalist was confused as to who owns the firms.

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IDFIMH

The side of the road that appears in the picture is in Lewes, the other side of the road is in B&H.

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IDFIMH

Get off your high horse.

TBH I think this is another case of whinging and whining people going to the press for no good reason.

The firm may have made a mistake, but they apologised and offered flowers and vouchers.

But the lady and her son decided they wanted to big up the mistake made, which isn't exactly in line with the time of year.

So any sympathy I may have had, is not there.

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IDFIMH

That was my take on it as well. (Hence, my SARCASM) The company admitted their mistake and tried to make amends. They could have just as easily said they had no such booking. She didn’t miss her dinner either.