Taxi Driver Online

That was one of the reasons I wondered why nobody tried to get it in the national press, cabbies read them as much as anyone else

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

E-MAIL..

Hi XXXXXXXX,



On Tuesday I attended a seminar at Bristol organised By the DFT to discuss this document.



Before an audience comprised mainly of licensing officers I asked the following question of Paul Lawry.



My local authority claim that this document endorses their policy that all hackney carriages should be 100% wheelchair compliant. Does this document endorse their policy?



The answer was: The document endorses nothing.



He later went on to say that many people prefer saloon cars and that a policy of 100% WAVs was not necessarily the answer.



What the DFT are saying is that if a LA were to licence a WAV then it should meet the standards of tx fiat etc as an interim measure until a truly accessible vehicle is produced, The make up of a fleet whether a mix of saloons and WAVs or 100% compliant is not the issue, the vehicle type is the issue, it is as simple as that.

If you know of anyone who is going to the Edinburgh seminar I can assure you that if people with ambulant disabilities were to attend and speak it would make a massive impact.



Regards,



XXXXXXXX.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Dear Members:



As you will be aware, ten days ago we asked for your assistance in emailing the Minister to apply for extra time for the current consultation on “Improving Accessibility in Taxis”. All of you who emailed the Minister by now will have received notification of the Minister’s refusal to extend the consultation period. This means that we have only four weeks until the response to the consultation should be sent to the Department for Transport.



As you know, we think this is a ridiculously short period of time, and we’re not taking the Minister’s refusal lying down. We would now like you over the next few days to contact your own MP and send him/her the message as set out below:-



Dear [Mr/Mrs MP]: We write on behalf of our members of the [insert trade association name or company name] to ask for your assistance in a matter which we feel is vital to the industry and the disabled residents in your constituency. As you may be aware, there is a DfT consultation at this moment on “Improving Accessibility to Taxis”. We have waited 14 years for this consultation, and the trade believes that the 12-week consultation period granted after this length of time is woefully inadequate to be able to put over the points that we need to make at a level which those considering the responses would give serious consideration to.



Because of our belief, we wrote to the Minister attaching a document setting out the reasons why we believe that our industry has been ignored for far too long. A précised copy of the report to the Minister is attached. But we have to say that on the 25th of March, just four weeks before the consultation is due to end, the Minister refused to extend the consultation period. A copy of the Minister’s reply is attached.



We write therefore to urgently request your assistance in reversing the Minister’s decision, so that we can do things properly. It is absolutely clear from our investigations since the consultation first went out, that a huge number of disabled representative groups – especially at local level – do not even know the consultation is actually taking place; and yet we know for a fact that many of these groups including Age Concern, disability action groups, Arthritis Care etc., are strongly against the imposition of an all-wheelchair accessible hackney carriage fleet.



The point that we are trying to make is that unless we have time to ensure that all involved, particularly at local level, have a chance to lay their thoughts before the Department for Transport, there is a danger that an uninformed strategy emanating from this consultation may disadvantage more people than the implied aim of the consultation: improving access to taxis.



Any assistance that you can give at this time would be greatly appreciated.



Yours faithfully



In the meantime, and in order to progress matters as best we possibly can under the given circumstances, it is obvious from the huge number of responses that we had to our original request, that affordability by the trade is not just a mountain to climb; it is a mountain that is so far away we will probably never even reach it. Therefore, can we ask you to do two things: (1) to get your members and as many people as you can to fill in the attached form and get it back to us, the NPHA, as rapidly as possible, and certainly before the 17th April, so that we can collate the results for sending on to the DfT. The second thing we would ask is that you contact your local disabled groups; tell them what is going on, and ask them whether they have heard about this consultation or not. Then send us a list of the groups you have contacted, preferably with contact names and numbers, so again we can collate the results and present them for consideration.



Finally, we would add that the National Association of Licensing and Enforcement Officers supported our request for an extension, and at this moment many councils are looking to respond themselves. It might be an idea if you phoned your council to ask whether they intend to respond, so that we could add this to the list.



All we’re talking about here is getting statistics together as rapidly as we can; and if those statistics are as overwhelming as we believe they are and must be, then perhaps we can stop this lunacy.



With all my best regards and thanks for your assistance in this matter.



Bryan Roland

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I have sent a copy of a e-mail that I receive from Brian Rowlands of the National private hire Association, as an attachment it has a questionnaire which if people could fill in and e-mail back to Brian Rowland's it would be of help, I hope Alex can place it on this thread...

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

The Captain asked last week.

http://taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11142

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IDFIMH

http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/files/affsurvey.pdf
Can you not put this up in a way that it is easy to cut-and-paste... please

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Ask the authour not the postman.

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IDFIMH

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE (WA) VEHICLES – AFFORDABILITY SURVEY
Name..................................................................
Your age (important).........................................
Council...............................................................
How many rank spaces do you have.......................
Has your council deregulated hackney
carriage numbers ? Yes...........No...........
How many hackney carriages in your area?
Before deregulation....................................
After deregulation.......................................
Does your council operate a different policy for
licensing WA vehicles then non WA vehicles (ie:
open policy for WA vehicles)
Yes………No………
Do you have a mixed fleet of saloon and wheelchair
accessible vehicles
Yes..........No...........
Do you have any of the following services in your
area?
Dial-a-Ride? Yes..........No............
Community transport? Yes..........No.............
Do those services provide wheelchair accessible
transport? Yes...........No............
If you have a WA vehicle do you have any
accessibility contracts? Yes...........No............
If you have a WA vehicle but have no contracts
How many wheelchair bound passengers have you
taken in the last 12 months?......................
If you have a WA vehicle have disabled passengers
refused to get into your vehicle?
Yes...................No...................
Do you work nights / days / both
Any Further Comments?
Plate No.............................................................
Make of vehicle..................................................
Wheelchair Accessible: - Yes............No............
Age of vehicle....................................................
Did your council deregulate in favour of all new
vehicles being wheelchair accessible?
Yes..........No...........
Do Hackney saloon cars have grandfather rights in
your area? Yes...........No...........
Do you have a-
Railway station? Yes...........No...........
Bus Station? Yes...........No...........
Airport? Yes...........No...........
Seaport? Yes...........No...........
Do all hackney carriages have access to:
The Railway Station? Yes...........No.............
The Bus Station? Yes...........No............
The Airport? Yes...........No............
The Seaport? Yes...........No...........
If you have a saloon car or other non- WA vehicle
do you have any contracts for transporting the
disabled? Yes..........No......
If you have a saloon car or other non- WA vehicle
do you regularly take disabled passengers?
Yes.........No.......
If you have a WA vehicle have able bodied
passengers refused to get into your vehicle?
Yes...................No...................
How many hours a week do you work?.............
Do you earn more or less than the national
minimum wage per hour? (£5.73 per hour)
More..............Less...............



Send to npha@btconnect.com

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I might be blind and can't see wood for trees or it may be completely irrelevant, but, there doesn't seem to be a question asking how many none WA vehicles actually transport people in wheelchairs. I have regularly transported people in wheelchairs who prefer to get out of the chair when they travel.

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Toots is this the question you mean

If you have a saloon car or other non- WA vehicle
do you regularly take disabled passengers?

It does not mention wheelchairs but i think it might be the same

I knew somebody would do that but you are right it doesn't mention wheelchairs so it's not the same. One shouldn't pressume just because they talk about disabled they mean wheelchair users. That's the problem all around when you mention disabled. I think the question should be more specific to wheelchair users if that's what it's aimed at

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

What do you think of the NTTG response.

NATIONAL TAXI TRADES GROUP
RESPONSE TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT’S CONSULTATION DOCUMENT ON IMPROVING DISABLED ACCESS TO TAXIS

We have not constructed a detailed preamble but have confined ourselves to answering the questions asked in the consultation document.

Consultation Questions
Q1: What is your view of the analysis and data included here and in the Impact Assessment? Do you have any further or more accurate data that you would be able to send us?

Answer; whilst purpose built vehicles do not meet all the taxi problems of the disabled, they are all that is currently available, or likely to be available, and we think the assessment exaggerates their cost in relation to a saloon car. Not all purpose built vehicles are bought new, there is a thriving second hand market and in Manchester and Liverpool there is a culture of keeping cabs for 2, 3 or 4 years to stay within the warranty period. The traded-in vehicles usually finding their way to the surrounding quieter boroughs.
There is a strong prejudice in those districts using saloon car cabs and against the initial cost of purchase built vehicles, which comes from comparing second hand saloon prices against new purpose built. There is a plentiful supply of second hand purpose built cabs.

Q2 What do you think are the potential impacts, costs and benefits of the “do nothing scenario”?

Answer: We do not think the taxi trade can stand aside from the general movement to greater transport accessibility for the disabled. They now have a justified expectation of improvement in all forms of transport. If licensing authorities do not insist on accessible vehicles or replacements being accessible the total number of wheelchair accessible vehicles will decline because of proprietors perception of costs.

Q3 Do you have any further or more accurate data on potential costs and benefits of a “do nothing” scenario that you would be able to send us?

Answer: We see no advantage in doing nothing and it would be advantageous to the trade and the general public (including the disabled) to have a more uniform and easily recognisable national taxi fleet.

Q4 What type of guidance would be most effective, in what format should it be produced and what can the DfT do to promote take-up?

Answer: Licensing authorities have been encouraged to specify purpose built vehicles for a number of years with little effect. Legislation specifying that all hackney carriages should be wheelchair accessible and have aids for the blind and deaf would seem to be the answer. If necessary private hire cars could be required to have swivel seats and blind and deaf aids. That might lessen the cost advantage of switching from hackney to private hire.

Q5:- What do you think of the draft technical specification? Do you think it would help levels of accessibility? What aspects of it could be delivered easily and which ones would be more problematic?

Answer:- Since most vehicles meet the interim standard we do think it important to use that standard rather than look for an enhanced specification which will increase the costs of current vehicles and saloon car owners. We have to stop tinkering and get on with making the largest number of cabs accessible.

Q6 What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of DfT funded demonstrations?

Answer: We do not think any more guidance is required. What is needed is legislation to enforce accessibility to the DfT interim standard without more prevarication

Q7 What do you think would be the most effective ways of influencing action by local licensing authorities, drivers and manufacturers?

Answer:- We think it is now time to impose the relevant sections of the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act

Q8 What are your views on the Government’s proposal to amend and commence section 36 of the Disability Discrimination Act? This would impose a duty on drivers of taxis and private hire vehicles that are designated as being wheelchair accessible to assist passengers in wheelchairs, to carry them in safety and comfort and not charge them any extra.

Answer:- We think it desirable that the Government should get on with imposing section 36, but that will not achieve the desired result unless all drivers are trained in the use of the equipment in the cab and more importantly undergo a disability awareness course. Drivers should not be able to obtain a license unless they have demonstrated a satisfactory level of disability awareness. This is far more important than any adaptation of or improvement to the vehicles.

Q9 What additional enforcement action or tools would be the most effective way of improving driver behaviour and attitudes?

Answer: Everything depends on driver training which should be an integral part of the preparation for being a taxi driver. Some better guidance is needed as to what a driver can be expected to do to help particularly heavy passengers. A subsidised travel scheme for the disabled would be helpful, but the experience in Manchester is not good. It is too difficult to turn the resulting vouchers into cash.

Q10 What measures do you think could act as positive incentives to improve driver behaviour and the levels of service offered to disabled people?

Answer: We think that licensing authorities should ensure that drivers have sufficient training in behaviour and attitude before they can drive a cab, to remove the prevalent current perception of the disabled as a time consuming expensive problem. An effective subsidised travel scheme would also help but it should be run perhaps in conjunction with buses and trains with a genuine desire to help and not as a politically correct gesture as at present. Taxis are the only transport service offering a round the clock door to door service which should be particularly useful to the disabled and elderly.

Q11 In relation to improving access to taxis, what do you think the DfT and local licensing authorities could do better and more effectively?

Answer:- Introduce the relevant sections of the 1995 DDA. Ensure that disability and attitude training is an integral part of all taxi training. Implement user friendly transport subsidy schemes, friendly for both the disabled and drivers.

Q12: How could we help to increase the availability of accessible taxis and private hire vehicles at ports, airports, bus and rail stations?


Answer:- There should be a requirement to enable disabled accessible taxis to have space for ranks at termini. It is common practice for operators to restrict access to private hire operators for a fee thus excluding accessible taxis.


Q13:-How could we improve the consistency and quality of information provided to disabled people about taxis?


Answer:- This would best be done when training had been implemented and some form of taxi card subsidy was in place. Perhaps demonstrations could be arranged at Hospitals and care homes.


15th April 2009

Who wrote this? LTI?

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

I have a booking tomorrow morning for a wheel chair disabled person who will not get in a WAV. She is frightened of them. She can get from her chair into my car quite easily and the chair goes in the boot. And why not let her have the choice? She is on the service user committee for Leonard Cheshire and will mention to her what is proposed! I'm sure they don't know....... More later

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Life? Don't talk to me about life!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjm2eslm6hI

My first thoughts are that I'm glad someone/organization from the trade has responded.

My second thoughts are that this response will go down like a lead balloon to some fellow members of the MoM taxi grouping.

My third thoughts are that I sort of agree with a lot of it.

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IDFIMH