Taxi Driver Online

May 8 2007



A TAXI driver could lose his licence after being accused of verbally abusing disabled people in two separate incidents.

Complaints were made against the cabbie after he was alleged to have been reluctant to secure a wheelchair-bound passenger because they were “only going round the corner”.

And, in a second incident, the man has been accused of telling a disabled motorist “F**k you” when he was asked to move his taxi from a disabled parking berth.

Renfrewshire Council’s taxi enforcement officer Roy Hadden investigated both complaints, which occurred within a week of each other, and it has been decided by the Regulatory Functions Board that there is a case to answer against the driver.

The first complaint against the cabbie was made after he arrived to take a disabled man and his carer from Espedair Street in Paisley to the town’s Royal Alexandra Hospital.

The carer asked the driver for help and, after the alleged outburst, he did help to strap in the wheelchair passenger.

But the carer claims this was not done properly and she had to keep a “constant hold of the chair” on the drive to the hospital.

When she looked around for the taxi driver’s badge number with a view to making a complaint, she said he asked her if she “would like a picture”.

The cabbie does not deny he said it was the carer’s job to strap in the wheelchair-bound passenger but has accused the woman of saying: “You f***ing drivers are all the same down at the rank.”

The second complaint was made after the taxi driver parked in a disabled berth outside the Farmfoods store in Causeyside Street, Paisley.

When a motorist who was displaying a blue disabled badge in his vehicle pointed out to the cabbie that he was illegally parked, he responded by saying: “How do I know that is your badge?”

The council has heard that the cabbie did eventually move his taxi but is alleged to have given the motorist a “one finger rude sign” as he drove away.

The man said he was upset by the incident so reported the driver.

A council spokesperson said the cabbie has now been asked to attend a hearing at which he could have his operator’s licence suspended if he is found to be “no longer a fit and proper person to hold a licence.”

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxicabs_around_the_world

Here we go again.

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

Renfrewshire taxi-drivers, be it at the Paisley Gilmour Street rank outside the train station or at Glasgow Airport, are notorious for their rudeness

All except me

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxicabs_around_the_world

This is down to the L.As they treat the job with a degree of contempt - Ohh anyone can do it - sure anyone can do it, But! are they the right type of person?

They are reaping the harvest of the seeds that they have sown, and you will hear more and more.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

all L A's are only interested in one thing.............. MONEY My LA insist that they cannot refuse anyone a license because it is a basic human right to be allowed to work so more and more unsuitable drivers arrive every week crowding out the ranks and the descent drivers are leaving the trade !

I agree, hangings too good for drivers like this.

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Former taxi driver

I think that's correct, but the human rights issue doesn't stop your council improving drivers standards by way of the DSA taxi test and a stiffer knowledge.

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IDFIMH

The trouble is that they the "L.As" hide behind legislation.

But! they do not look at the overall picture! The driver who they give the licence to, should be a fit and proper person in many ways, lets face facts - many are not, so whose fault is it?

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

Everyone's.

The Gov for not being strong enough, councils for not being strong enough, and the trade for not being strong enough.

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IDFIMH

All I am saying is that if for instance you work elsewhere, and you are not suitable for whatever reason, then you do not get the work/job. Not everybody has got a right to a/the job no matter what.

Unless they take on board their responsibility the trade will continue to get the flack

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.