Taxi Driver Online

New rules could force conversion of taxis to take wheelchairs

TAXI drivers whose cars are not wheelchair-accessible could be required to convert them under new proposals being considered.

Crawley Borough Council is asking for the views of drivers and the public as it looks at changing its policy on taxi licensing.


Drivers have told of their fears that converting their cars would be too expensive

Two proposals are being considered, with the first limiting the number of taxis in the town after a survey showed there were enough in the town to meet people's needs.

The other is to require all taxi owners to provide wheelchair access, meaning vehicles which do not already comply would have to be converted by a set date.

Current policy requires all new licence applicants to have wheelchair access but only about 40 per cent of existing taxis are wheelchair accessible.

Most drivers the News spoke to this week agreed the number of taxis needs to be limited to ensure there is sufficient business to go round.

Ryan Grice, 39, from Ifield, said: "The amount of taxis in Crawley should be restricted. Today I've been sat here waiting for an hour for a job."

Ken Trussell, the council's cabinet member for environmental services, emphasised that no decisions have yet been made.

He said: "The main part of the proposal is limiting the number of taxis in the borough but wheelchair accessibility is something else we are considering. At this stage it is a consultation."

A spokesman added that the council would not subsidise the conversion of taxis with taxpayers' money.

source: http://www.thisissussex.co.uk/

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

I wish the government would get their finger out and give the local authorities
the ratio between wavs and saloons that is required to meet everyone's needs.
This is where i have sympathy for councils they have been left to deal with this until the government finish the demonstrations and provide a ratio.

The number plate on that cab is illegal

And if you restrict taxi numbers tomorrow what will change?

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IDFIMH

nope.....and making them all buy WAV's wont either.

CC

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

By all accounts the cost of running a taxi will go up, cos to get the restriction they now have to have WAVs. Why don't they do surveys of what proportion of the population need a WAV when they do the SUD

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

FFS!!

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

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Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

It won't get any worse and it might change, because if they keep it unrestricted, next year he might be waiting two hours for a job.

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

If they had road tax on wheelchairs, that would be easy.

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
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You can't do that it's not fair

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

Yes it is!

What's a fiver a year, FFS!!

They're all no emission or very low emission, depending on the occupant's own gas works' discharge!!

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

BC you're bad

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

Crawley has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, due to Gatwick.

So are you saying that loads of people will buy a WAV (£10-35,000), insure it (with no no-claims £3-5,000) to do one job every two hours (say, £5)?

The reason the hacks in Crawley are doing such little work is because they have lost huge chunks of their work to the ph trade.

And restrictions wont solve that.

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IDFIMH

Things would have been so different if dear old frizzy was still around

CC

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

But running at 73 pence a mile will!!

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.