MOBILITY MATTERS
SHIPSTON TAXI DRIVER HAS LICENCE REVOKED FOR REFUSING TO TAKE MAN IN MOBILITY SCOOTER
A taxi driver who refused to take a disabled passenger has had his hackney carriage licence revoked. Christopher Parker, from Shipston, was reported to Stratford District Council for refusing to take a fare from a man who was in a mobility scooter. The 69-year-old, who was in his taxi, had been available for hire at a taxi rank in Stratford town centre. The district council said Parker, who had been a licensed hackney driver since 1991, had received a considerable number of warnings and had previous action taken against him.
Following the latest complaint, the council’s licensing panel ruled he had breached his duty under s165 of the Equality Act 2010, which requires drivers of a wheelchair accessible taxi to
carry a
wheelchair user, and Section 164a, which imposes a duty on drivers to provide reasonable mobility assistance. Cllr Christopher Kettle, legal and community safety portfolio holder at the council, said: “Under the Equality Act, licensed taxi drivers using accessible vehicles must not discriminate against disabled passengers and they should also
give them assistance when
required. “Actions such as these is inexcusable and certainly not the high standard that we expect from our licensed drivers who all undergo disability awareness training to ensure they are aware of their legal obligation.” Cllr Chris Mills, the licensing panel chairman added: “Taxi drivers hold a position of trust and have a duty of care, and when drivers fail in this duty we have no hesitation in revoking their licence.” Parker can appeal against the decision to a magistrates’ court.
WELWYN HATFIELD COUNCIL CONSIDERS TAXI ACCESSIBILITY INVESTIGATION AFTER COMPLAINT
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (WHBC) has said it may make further investigations into the accessibility of the taxis it licenses, following a complaint. Ben Gillum, a Welwyn Garden City resident, lodged a complaint with the council about the taxi services “not being made accessible for all types of disabilities”. 69-year-old Ben has cerebral palsy, which means he struggles to use all taxis due to them being too high for him to get into. Ben said: “WHBC have introduced a policy whereby every hackney carriage on the rank must be wheelchair friendly. I recently tried to use such a vehicle and found that it was unsatisfactory as there were steps but no ramp. “I couldn’t manage the steps and so my planned journey couldn’t be
20
completed, much to my disappointment.” After speaking with the deputy leader of hackney
carriage
licensing in WGC, Ben was told he would have to use a private hire vehicle.
Ben added: “What I would like to see is a policy to cater not only for wheelchair users, but also for people like me who’s legs are stiff and who can’t use the system as it currently stands. “This policy needs to be reviewed; indeed, Age UK have said as much. “As a disabled person, I find this policy somewhat counter intuitive in that it is aimed at helping disabled people but appears to be excluding a large section of them.” A WHBC spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear of this resident’s difficulty recently with a Welwyn
Hatfield licensed taxi. “The Wheelchair Accessible Policy (WAV) was introduced by
the
council in March 2020 (in line with the Equality Act 2010). As such, our licensed hackney carriage vehicles must become wheelchair accessible at the end of their working life. There are eight of these already in operation in the borough. “The wheelchair accessible hackney carriages are fitted with ramps that should always be available for all disabled customers, not just wheelchair users. “These lower, to allow level access into the vehicle. This was something we
discussed
previously with the customer, but we would be happy to investigate further if it is felt necessary.”
APRIL 2023 PHTM
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