Taxi Driver Online

DDA 1995 New License conditions

34 New licences conditional on compliance with Taxi accessibility regulations

1. No licensing authority shall grant a licence for a Taxi to ply for hire unless the vehicle conforms with those provisions of the Taxi accessibility regulations with which it will be required to conform if licensed.

2. Subsection 1 does not apply if such a licence was in force with respect to the vehicle at any time during the period of 28 days immediately before the day on which the licence is granted.

3. The Secretary of State may by order provide for subsection 2 to cease to have effect on such date as may be specified in the order.

4. Separate orders may be made under subsection (3) with respect to different areas or localities.

One of these days it might even happen.

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IDFIMH

In 2001 LTI wanted to speed up the process of determining the proposed Government policy of wheelchair accessible Taxis mainly because they were losing work and they wanted the Government to bail them out by suggesting that all Taxis in the future should be of PCO specification.

That was the main reason why they orchestrated an urgent meeting with the Minister.

We are now nearing the end of 2006 and we still don't know what the Government intends to do in respect of Wheelchair accessible vehicles. I suggest there is a limit to what can be done to a vehicle with four doors, or even a vehicle with sliding doors? So surely the decision making process is hardly rocket science, even if the Government opted for a mixed fleet of vehicles?

We have people in the Taxi trade who want to plan their future and if necessary they don't want to spend more than they have to on a vehicle they do not like, especially if there's a cheaper option available?

How many more years do we have to wait Mr Secretary of State?

Regards

JD
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Coventry Evening Telegraph

January 3, 2001, Wednesday

HEADLINE: HOPES HIGH OF END TO TAXI LEGISLATION DELAYS

CAMPAIGNERS are hopeful that wrangling over new disability legislation which has hampered the Coventry's famous black cab maker will soon be over.

Bosses at London Taxis International met transport minister Keith Hill after it was announced that plans to introduce wheelchair-friendly cabs across the country were being delayed.

They are now waiting to hear when the changes, to be brought in under the Disability Discrimination Act, can be discussed by taxi firms.

Workers at the Holyhead Road company have agreed to a shorter working week after uncertainty generated by the hold-up led to a shortfall in demand.

The changes would have required all taxis to be adapted for disabled use by 2000. Mr Hill indicated at the National Taxi Association's conference in November that detailed discussions within the government had resulted in the package being delayed.

LTI immediately sought talks with the MP and now the firm's external affairs director, Terry Fryer, is confident that further developments can be expected soon.

He said: "We told the minister that the uncertainty, caused by the delay in bringing forward regulations under the Disability Discrimination Act, was unhelpful. "We brought that message to him quite strongly and we had a good meeting. "The company is now hopeful that he will move towards final consultations over the regulations. He certainly indicated that there would be no unnecessary delays in going out to consultation."

The firm's latest TX1 models already incorporate wheelchair access. Production is decreasing from 68 to 51 cabs over the next three months.

Meanwhile the company is pressing ahead with expansion proposals, which will see its factory redeveloped and the operation relocated to another site in Coventry, creating 100 extra jobs.
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I like the way that the Govt is being blamed for LTI's woes, rather than LTI itself.

And if they're banking on changes in Govt policy to bail them out, then why did they oppose the OFT's derestriction recommendation, which would have increased demand for LTI products presumably? Naked opportunism, perhaps?

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

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

Is going through old posts a new hobby JD?

regards

CC

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

I was looking for somewhere to put my new found article about LTI asking the Minister to get his act together and make a decision about WAV's.

I thought it was quite interesting that after five years and a promise from the Minister that something would be done sooner rather than later, that we are no nearer to a decision now than we were five years ago?

You lot had some input into this, any idea who's holding up the process?

Regards

JD