Taxi Driver Online

East Grinstead Courier

May 17, 2007 Thursday

Taxi company access praise

Owen Griffiths.

A Taxi company in East Grinstead has been praised by an access group for providing the town's only wheelchair compatible vehicle.

Street Cars, which is based in King Street, invested £16,000 in a Volkswagen Transporter with the relevant additions, to the delight of the East Grinstead and District Access Group.

Chairman of the group Stuart Rook said: "I think it's very, very good. It looks comfortable and it's ideal for customers. It's got assembly ramps and all the restraint straps for wheelchairs in situ.

"We support the local taxi firms who will make the effort for disabled people."

The company only started last November, and directors Simon and Amy Waterman were inspired to buy the vehicle after seeing a friend's success with one in Haywards Heath.

Mr Waterman said that buying the vehicle made good business sense and that customers had been impressed by it. He said: "Disabled people have disposable income the same as everyone else. Companies are missing out if they can't transport disabled people."

Mrs Waterman, the managing director of the company, said: "We already have five or six regular customers that use it every week. They have been over the moon. They prefer it to the side loaders because they can see where they are going."

Mr Rook added: "I have been using this company since they started and our president, who is totally blind and a double amputee, uses them everyday." The vehicle can hold five additional people when carrying a wheelchair, or eight without, allowing disabled passengers to travel with their friends.

Mr Rook said: "It's very important that they have the size of vehicle they do because most wheelchair customers also have carers or other people who need to be taken with them." With the Disability Discrimination Act having implications for taxi companies in the future, Mr Cook said the company had been sensible to offer such a service.

He said: "Actually, with the introduction of the DDA, it's law that companies have to have wheelchair accessible vehicles and that will apply soon."
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See that's what happens when you have a two bob council sh** scared to issue any new HC plates.

Methinks that will soon change though.

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IDFIMH