COVID
NEWS...COVID NEWS TAYSIDE TAXI DRIVER HAS TO SELF-ISOLATE AFTER
OVERHEARING PASSENGER ADMIT POSITIVE CORONAVIRUS TEST
A taxi driver has been forced to self- isolate after a pa- ssenger travelled with him without informing him she had tested positive for coronavirus. He had driven more than 20 miles into the journey when the driver overheard her talking about her diagnosis on the phone. The driver, in his mid-60s, chal- lenged her and asked if she was telling the truth and was told, to his hor- ror, she was. Anddy Lothian, dir- ector of Ace Taxis, in
Perth, said he was ‘absolutely livid’, and urged Covid- positive patients NOT to use public transport. He explained that any- body who has tested positive or has a suspected case can use a spe- cial sealed vehicle, provided by NHS Tayside. He said that under no circum- stances
should
people who think they are ill be using public transport. He said: “The driv- er’s worried sick about himself and his family. I’m furi-
ous that this has happened to him. He’s had to go into immediate isolation for two weeks and we’re arranging a
test. That’s two weeks’ wages lost for him. “The vehicle is now getting sterilised top to bottom.
Anddy Lothian of Ace Taxis
We’ve been told we can go in and clean it after three days but it will be off the road for at least a week. “No warning was given to either the office or the driver at pickup that the passenger had test- ed positive. “The NHS have already started the track and trace poli- cy on this. They have been in con- tact and offered the driver advice on what to do next. An NHS Tayside spokesperson said: “ S e l f - i s o l a t i o n
means that the per- son affected and all household members or extended house- hold
members
should remain at home and should not go to work, school, shops, pub- lic areas or use public transport. “If a taxi is required then the person should provide in- formation at the time of booking that they may have sym- ptoms of Covid-19.” The spokesperson said it was essential that facial coverings should be worn at all times.
BRIGHTON CABBIES CONCERNS OF EXTRA COSTS OF PPE FOR SCHOOL CONTRACTS
Taxi and PHV firms with school con- tracts for Brighton and Hove Council face extra costs of supplying PPE to drivers ferrying vul- nerable children once the new term starts in September. One taxi firm boss estimated that the bill for PPE could be around £1,000 a month and it seems that cabbies, or the companies provid- ing transport, will be expected to pay for it themselves. The cost of buying
PPE is not covered by the terms of the contracts, which were drawn up before the pandem- ic, and the council said that its role was to provide equip- ment to those struggling to obtain their own. This all came to light at a “virtual” meet- ing of Brighton and Hove City Council’s Home to School Transport Policy Panel on Tuesday 21 July where ways to make the service run smoothly
from
September were discussed. Councillors, officials, parents and carers heard that social distancing measures were not required in taxis because gov- ernment guidance did not count home to school transport as public transport as pupils and staff travel together as a “bubble” each day. The panel was also told that many of the young people, some with disabilities, could not put on masks themselves
£2 , 5 0 0 HE R E ’S
£2,500 deposit contribution or contact your local dealer for
T O G E T Y O U G OI N G A GA I N For a limited time only. Enquire now at
levc.com/phtmdeposit
AUGUST 2020
alternative oers*. *T&C’s apply.
and were exempt. However, drivers and pupil escorts were required to wear masks or visors because some chil- dren with profound disabilities spit or spray saliva when they speak, laugh, cry or become agi- tated. The interim head of the home to school transport service, Regan Delf, told the panel that transport staff, on the whole, did wear face cover- ings. She said: “If they can’t access
the PPE that they need through the routes that they have then the coun- cil has been pro- viding that and will continue to do that subject to availabili- ty on our side.” Ms Delf said that PPE was not a govern- ment requirement but a “safe option”. Taxi firm boss And- rew Cheesman said: “We did approach the council with help for PPE. Unfor- tunately, the council has turned us down and said they can’t
supply home to school
transport
with PPE. The PPE hub is only to assist people in absolute emergencies – and school transport was not on the list. “At the moment we are having no trou- ble getting PPE as we have a few routes operating but when we get every- thing operating, we will need about 500 sets a week.” Ms Delf said that she would look into the issue with the coun- cil’s PPE hub.
79
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112
