Taxi Driver Online

NEW TAXI BAN OVER SAFETY WORRIES

A NEW type of taxi has been banned in Scotland because of safety fears.

Hundreds of drivers wanted to use the the Fiat Doblo because it costs £15,000 compared to £32,000 for the traditional, London-style, black cab.

But councils have banned the Doblo because it lacks driver-controlled safety locks, increasing the risk of a passenger falling out.

Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee have all banned the Doblo. Paisley and Aberdeen allow it but that is under review.

East Dunbartonshire do not allow it to be used as a hackney carriage taxi but it can be used as a private hire vehicle.

The Doblo, also banned in Northampton, Leeds, Sheffield and Swindon, has also been criticised over access for wheelchair users.

National Taxi Association chairman Norman Deigan said: "With a back-loader like the Doblo, the passenger has to be wheeled to the rear over the kerb and then into the back."

Fiat spokesman Puneet Joshi said: "We are aware that certain councils do not license Doblos as taxis.

"But many others do - such as Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Bristol."

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IDFIMH

Yet another restriction supported by the NTA.

I wonder how many drivers they asked when forming that view. Might have even been a dozen.

Still their policy of letting local councils decide for themselves didn't last very long.

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IDFIMH

"And the drivers will lie down and be stamped on and accept this absolute tosh"

btw i dont and never will have a Doblo.

But it's ok for all the Ambulances to load from the rear!
And most WAV minibusses!

Wonder how much the "Misc" payments add up to in the accounts of LTi every year?

Seeing that Doblo owners may use their vehicles on the public road by virtue of the fact that they have obtained the mandatory VEL, which permits that vehicle to be used for the purpose of Plying for Hire. It brings into question what power these LA's have to intefere with the terms of that mandatory VEL.

So that explains the touting minicabs and private cars plying for hire in London then.

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

Ah but that depends on whether the decision accords with the gospel according to the NTA

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

Quite.

We have thousands of ambulances and community transport vehicles all loading from the rear, but the buffoon from the NTA thinks they are all dangerous.

One day, sometime in the future, these so-called leaders of our trade will think before they talk.

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IDFIMH

I am not 100 % sure what the position is here in Renfrewshire Council area (Paisley) but I will check it tomorrow (Mon)

At the moment the following W.A.V. vehicles are approved for use here



List of Approved Multi Person Vehicles
Taxi and Private Hire Licences

All the following types of multi person vehicles (MPVs) have been approved for use as either a licensed taxi or a private hire vehicle providing that the vehicle is adapted to be fully wheelchair accessible.

Hackney TX1 (taxis only)
Hackney TX2 (taxis only)
Citroen Dispatch Taxi
Citroen Le Cab Noir
Fiat 200 T.W.
Fiat Dakota
Fiat Combo
Fiat Scudo
Ford Torneo Connect
Mercedes V2
Mercedes V220
Mercedes Vito
Mercedes Traveliner
Peugeot Euro 7
Peugeot Expert E7
Peugeot Voyager
Renault Trafic
Volkswagen Caravelle
Volkswagen Sharan
Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle
Volkswagen Taxi Bus

we license them as non wavs.
but not as wavs.

still we have plenty of back door action down here.

I confirmed today that it is under review in light of the Sunday Mail article, will keep you posted

the ban in dundee only applies to new plates a dundee op who was running a eurobus for the last 15 months changed it and put on a doblo
seems crazy to me

Apart from the price, is there much difference between a Doblo and a TX?

Ollie

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Happy to be legit.

Is the ban on the Doblo's really neccessary ?

I would love to know who gave the Sunday Mail the story, after all the paper is a Glasgow based Sunday tabloid which is more used to featuring stories on affairs & gangsters, etc.

Why did they suddendly take an interest ?

Where they given the story by some group with motives ?

More to the point I seen to remember that ambulances are rear entry & also remember the well published case of the drunk girl who was in the back of an ambulance & killed herself by opening the door when enroute to the Hospital

Should rear entry ambulances be banned ?

I was asked to point this out:

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

I don't know what ranks he sits on but I've never seen a cab yet parked up the azz end of another cab on the rank. You always leave enough room to get out in case you get a radio job etc, besides the punter would normaly go to the first cab who would no doubt pull up a few feet if there was a restriction behind him. I think Mr T aka TaxiI has been supping to much of that scotch mist or he has completely lost touch with the Taxi trade. If indeed he was ever in touch with the Taxi Trade?


Regards

JD