Taxi Driver Online

Taxi company launches internal investigation into Telford mum's discrimination complaint

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/loc ... complaint/

A taxi company is launching an internal investigation into complaints from a disabled Telford woman who says sarcastic and unhelpful drivers have made her life a misery.

Annette Stirland and her daughter Debbie Woolley say drivers used by Go Carz have mocked her disabilities and told her she shouldn't go out of the house - and one even offered to book her an ambulance instead.

Ms Woolley said: "We used to use Diamond Cars and had no problem but they were taken over by Go Cars and it has not been the same.

"On their app you are asked to put any special requirements, but the drivers never read where we need them to come to, and how much space we have to have.

"We ask for a car with a big boot for the wheelchair but they send a Prius where it doesn't fit in. I try to explain to them but sometimes they just drive off."

On Monday this week it was the last straw for Ms Woolley, 33, who is a full time carer for her 64-year-old mum.

They had been taken into Telford town centre by a "lovely lady" driver. But couldn't get a cab to run them back home to St David's Close where they live together.

"I had to push my mum in a wheelchair all the way home in the heavy rain," said Ms Woolley, who has a record of five recent bookings with the company.

They have a mobility scooter, an old American one, but it is broken and a lack of parts make it impossible to fix. And being on benefits it is impossible for them to afford to buy a new one.

"With Diamond, a lot of drivers knew my mum and her needs, but not now," said Ms Woolley who is also considering making a complaint to Telford & Wrekin Council's licensing department.

Go Cars, which uses self-employed driver partners, is based in Shrewsbury's Battlefield Enterprise Park but offers services from across the West Midlands.

This week a spokesperson for Go Cars said they would launch an internal investigation.

A Go Carz spokesperson said: “It’s regrettable to hear that Ms Stirlands’ needs have not been met when booking a journey.

"We are conducting an internal investigation into her bookings and will contact her as part of the process.

“We are committed to continuous training at our Journey Booking Centre to ensure we correctly administer travel arrangements for passengers with a protected characteristic.

"Self-employed driver partners are reminded that failure to comply with duties when carrying wheelchair passengers is an offence under the equality act 2010.”

Ms Woolley was not optimistic.

"I am angry that they have told a reporter that," she said. "They've not responded when I complain."

No doubt she's had some bad experiences with drivers, but nothing specific to say what the problem was on Monday, precisely.

So there's an acute 'driver shortage', it's raining heavily and her wheelchair won't fit in a standard car. And it looks like a job of less than a mile, perhaps just half a mile or so

So, somehow, I doubt these self-employed 'driver partners' will be queuing up to do the job.


So if these 'driver partners' are self-employed, what's it got to do with Go Carz?

And, for example, if Uber drivers won't accept such jobs, how can it be demonstrated that they're in breach of the Equality Act?

The passenger's contract is with Go Carz.

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Grandad,

In all fairness it's pretty pointless them remaining if the wheelchair won't fit in their motors.


Oh for those days when we were all merely drivers.

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IDFIMH

Not sure if you're disagreeing with me or not, but indeed that's my point - if the passenger's contract is with Go Carz, it undermines their claim that the drivers are self-employed.

I was merely pointing out that regardless of who actually does the work the contract is with the operator who accepted the job.

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Grandad,

Any operator who takes a booking and then claims the contract is with a self employed driver must be ignorant of Licensing Laws they operate under.
By making that claim unless every so called self employed driver has an operators license in their own right the operator who first took the booking is breaking the Law by sub contracting to an unlicensed operator.

Well indeed, but surely my question presupposed that, and was self-evidently sarcastic/rhetorical in nature?

I asked 'what's it got to do with Go Carz' in the context of the employment status issue, implying there's a conflict between that and the immediate contractual position

Looks like Go Carz has been on a charm offensive with the customers here.

But amazed the Go Carz comms people didn't use the phrase 'reached out' in their statement


Taxi firm concludes investigation into disabled mum's 'mockery' complaint

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/loc ... complaint/

A taxi company has completed an internal investigation into a disabled Telford woman's complaints that she was mocked by its drivers.

Annette Stirland and her daughter Debbie Woolley had complained to Shrewsbury-based regional taxi firm Go Carz after they say some drivers mocked her disabilities, with one even offering to book her an ambulance instead.

Ms Woolley, who is a full-time carer for her mum, was full of praise for the company after speaking to Midlands regional director Graham Hoof.

"The regional director contacted us and we can now make sure that we can get an estate car that is big enough for Mum's wheelchair," said Ms Woolley, who lives with her mum at St David's Close.

"We have used them since, and had a free taxi ride where everything was OK. Mum is happy that the regional director called and he was really nice.

"We've spoken to the call handlers and one lady couldn't be nicer."

Ms Woolley added: "I am sure that the Shropshire Star played a part in us getting this resolved."

A spokesperson for the company said: "The Go Carz team have confirmed that this complaint has been resolved and the complainant was happy with the outcome."

Earlier the company said it was "committed to continuous training at our journey booking centre to ensure we correctly administer travel arrangements for passengers with a protected characteristic".

It added: "Self-employed driver partners are reminded that failure to comply with duties when carrying wheelchair passengers is an offence under the Equality Act 2010.”

Through gritted teeth, perhaps

Once they have concluded their investigations they should refer themselves and any drivers concerned to the local council's enforcement team.

This complaint was against a licensed operator and licensed drivers, Go Carz are not the investigating/prosecuting authority, despite what they pretend to be.

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IDFIMH