Taxi Driver Online

Tuc-tuc passengers injured in crash

Two children were taken to hospital after the tuc-tuc they were travelling in overturned. The youngsters, whose injuries are not thought to be serious, were among five children aged between five and 12 travelling in the motorised rickshaw tonight.

They were being given rides as part of a summer fair being held by St John the Baptist School in Whitehawk Hill Road, Brighton. According to a police spokesman, the vehicle lost control and tipped onto its side.

He said all the children's parents and the school's headteacher had been notified about the accident. All of the passengers and the driver were wearing seatbelts. The accident happened at about 5.25pm on Slinfold Close in Brighton.

Both the injured youngsters were taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital by ambulance. Sussex Police Road Policing Unit is investigating the cause of the accident.

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IDFIMH

You often wonder if you are in the same world as others, and when you read that a school has allowed one of these death-traps to it's summer fair then maybe you wish you were on another world.

Apart from the dangers of the bloody vehicles let's not forget that the drivers are unlicensed and unchecked. FFS what more danger could teachers put these kids in?

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IDFIMH

This is it not tipped over.

HTF can you really expect this thing to take six punters and driver?

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IDFIMH

Um................ Slowly?

"I'll get my coat!"

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

Can the last one to leave the planet please turn off the light.

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Grandad,

Tuk-tuk crash to be investigated by watchdog

A tuk-tuk crash that left two children injured is to be investigated by the licensing authority. Philip Brown, the traffic commissioner for the South East, said last night the circumstances of the accident will be looked at in detail. If licence conditions are not met, he could issue formal warnings, fines or even suspend the service.

Taxi drivers, who have campaigned against the three-wheelers, said the crash was an accident waiting to happen. But Tuc Tuc Ltd's owner, Dominic Ponniah, who relaunched the service in May, defended the safety of the vehicles.

Two children were taken to hospital after a rickshaw overturned at about 5.25pm on Tuesday in Slinfold Close, Brighton. The youngsters, who were among five children and an adult travelling in the rickshaw, were taken to hospital with cuts and bruises. They were named on The Argus website as Holly Brooker and Grace Allen.

The controversial three-wheelers were being used as rides as part of a summer fair at St John the Baptist School in Whitehawk Hill Road. According to police, the vehicle lost control and tipped onto its side. All passengers and the driver were wearing seatbelts.

The school came in for criticism on The Argus's forum yesterday for allowing children to use the rickshaws. The headteacher refused to comment but Adele, the mother of a pupil, wrote on the forum: "As a mother with a child that attends the school and also a resident close by, the school cannot be blamed for this especially the head.

"The head was on the scene within minutes of the accident as was I and many of my neighbours. "Any children that were allowed on the tuk-tuk were under their parents' or guardians' care. "However I do understand from neighbours that the driver was turning quickly in our turning bays."

Ted Kemble, a Brighton and Hove city councillor and taxi driver, was among many in the cabbie fraternity to have raised concerns about the safety of tuk-tuks in the past. He said: "I am still concerned about the safety of these vehicles and this has been borne out by the recent accident."

Dominic Ponniah said his tuk-tuks were safe and these type of incidents were very rare. He said: "We are very sorry that the accident happened in the first place and I have spoken to the headteacher and all the children are well and have recovered.

"This goes to prove how safe the vehicles actually are - everyone was wearing seatbelts and no-one had broken bones, only cuts and bruises." He added that a full investigation is being carried out.

This is not the first time Tuc Tuc Ltd has come onto the traffic commissioner's radar. Last year Mr Brown's predecessor, Christopher Heaps, handed out a £16,500 fine to Tuc Tuc Ltd after the company's bus service was found not to be meeting its timetable. The amount was later halved on appeal.

A spokesman for the traffic commissioner said: "So far there have been no complaints regarding the tuk-tuks and no information has been provided regarding the accident that happened on Tuesday. "But information will be forthcoming and then he will review it."

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IDFIMH

I have a good feeling in my blood that the last sentence above is a wonderful piece of foresight.

I just hope the Traffic Commissioner has a large letter box.

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IDFIMH

I wonder if the issuing commissioner gets a letter .................. or two.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

please update us when there is more info I'm sure many on here will be quite interested in the final outcome

Wern't their another couple of accidents in Brighton last year?

Why weren't they mentioned in the article?

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

Here's one reported about ten months ago:

Passenger injured in tuk-tuk accident

A woman was taken to hospital after the first road accident involving a tuk-tuk. The passenger, in her 20s, was injured after one of the motorised rickshaws crashed into a stationary vehicle on Saturday. She was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital with injuries to her arm. She also complained of feeling faint.


The tuk-tuk driver lost control on Marine Drive, Brighton, at 3pm after one of its tyres got a puncture. TucTuc Limited, the company in charge of the popular vehicles, described it as a freak accident. A spokeswoman said their mechanic regularly serviced the vehicles and a burst tyre was not something which could have been predicted.

Dominic Ponniah, executive director of the company, said in a statement: "The driver was able to quickly bring the vehicle under control and to a complete stop. It is with regret that one passenger was slightly injured in the accident.

"A member of Sussex Police reported that the driver handled the situation with the correct level of care and attention. "TucTuc Limited ensures vehicles are regularly serviced and all drivers are fully trained in vehicle handling and passenger safety. Seatbelts are fitted in all tuk-tuks and it is a legal requirement for all passengers to wear them.

"While this was an unfortunate occurrence, TucTuc Limited would like to apologise for the incident. "We would reassure the public that the safety of tuk-tuk passengers and other road users is paramount."

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

And this one a few weeks later :

Man in hospital after falling from tuk-tuk

A MAN is recovering from severe head injuries after falling out of a motorised rickshaw.

Spencer Lowry, 22, was travelling in a tuk-tuk during the early hours of the morning when he is thought to have fallen out near the Charter Hotel in Kings Road, Brighton. He was then struck by a car.

He was taken unconscious to Hurstwood Park Neurosciences Centre in Haywards Heath.
continued...

Yesterday, the hospital confirmed he had come out of his coma. Last night he was said to be in a stable condition.

Some details of the incident on October 15 remain unclear but Dominic Ponniah, owner of Tuctuc Ltd which runs the rickshaw service in Brighton and Hove, yesterday confirmed Mr Lowry had fallen from one of his vehicles.

He said: "Somebody did fall out of the tuk-tuk while they were being driven along the seafront.

"From what I understand, there were three passengers inside."

How the accident happened is still under investigation but Mr Ponniah said: "It is a real shame that somebody has got so badly injured and obviously we are very concerned about what happened.

"The police had absolutely no problem with our safety when they arrived after the accident and it was not an issue to do with safety at all."

Mr Ponniah added he was confident all his vehicles were safe and met national safety standards and that the vehicle in question was not faulty.

The use of tuk-tuks in Brighton and Hove is already under the microscope and the result of a public inquiry looking into TucTuc Ltd's licensing arrangements is due this week.

City Cabs, Streamline Brighton and Streamline Hove taxi companies complained the motorised rickshaws were flouting timetable and route regulations.

Taxi drivers have also complained about safety issues surrounding the rickshaws.

It is the second time since their launch in July that the rickshaws owned by TucTuc Ltd have been involved in an accident in Brighton.

On September 16, a woman in her 20s was injured after one of the motorised rickshaws was collided with a stationary vehicle.

She was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital with injuries to her arm.

The tuk-tuk veered on Marine Drive, Brighton, after one of its tyres got a puncture.

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

Looks like these things are far more dangerous than limos!! I wonder if 5th/top gear will crash test 1 of these tuk tuks

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Legal and proud

Loads a love from BERTIE !!

Will they be able to get one upto 50 mph?

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Grandad,

Only on a hill!

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