MOBILITY MATTERS


PETERBOROUGH MAN TO LAUNCH NEW TAXI BUSINESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES


An enterprising Peterborough man is poised to launch a new taxi business specifically for people with disabilities. Passenger Assist Cambs aims to meet a growing need for a specialist taxi facility for people with a range of disabilities and needs. Mohammed Bashir, 36, said the the new service would take to the roads on February 1. He said: “The business will start with one £60,000 Mercedes Sprinter that will carry four passengers plus room for wheelchairs and other equipment. We will also carry guide dogs. “The dealer for the vehicle is struggling to get all the parts that


are needed. But I hope to build the number of taxis up – hopefully we’ll have two by the end of March and up to ten later in the year. Mr Bashir said: “This is a specialist mobility transport service that I am starting due to


the lack of transport available for elderly and


disabled passengers in the city. "Our vehicles are equipped with large electric tail lifts that accommodate both wheelchairs and scooters And our drivers are trained professionals in disability awareness, disability equipment and are Emergency First Aid at work qualified.” The arrival of the new service has been welcomed by Peterborough MP Paul Bristow, especially as DfT figures at the end of March show out of 926 licensed vehicles in Peterborough, only 133 (14%) could be used by people in wheelchairs. Of the 122 taxis, all were WAVs. But just 11 (1%) of the area’s 804 PHVs offered the same service.


CAMBRIDGE WHEELCHAIR USER WHO COULDN’T GET TAXI TO FUNERAL SLAMS DISCRIMINATION


A Cambridge man who missed a funeral because he was told that there were no WAV taxis available has branded it “discrimination”. Raphael Piran, 51, is a wheelchair user who has struggled to find taxis to help him get around Cambridge. Mr Piran said he was unable to attend his uncle’s funeral on November 30, because he couldn’t find suitable transport. Panther Taxis told him that they would not be able to transport him and his wheelchair. “It’s like discrimination,” he said. On another occasion on August 28, Mr Piran attended a disco in Ely. He was able to get a taxi to Ely, but had difficulty finding someone to take him home. He said that he was told that there


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were no WAV taxis available. He asked for a normal taxi, but when the driver arrived, he told Mr Piran that his folded wheelchair could not go in the boot. Mr Piran’s friend showed the taxi driver that the folded wheelchair could fit in the boot and Mr Piran was taken home. “Anybody can be in a wheelchair,” Mr Piran said. “[Taxis] are there to serve the public and the disabled people. How am I supposed to get about if I can’t rely on them?” “It’s regrettable that Mr Piran could not get a ride with Panther Taxis,” a spokesperson said. “Our team has contacted the passenger and are currently conducting an internal investigation.” Panther Taxis said in a statement


that the availability of WAVs has become “increasingly challenging”. The company said that the introduction of local council policies has seen some “driver- partners” change from larger WAVs and traditional hackney carriage vehicles to smaller EVs. As a result, there are 25% fewer WAVs licenced in Cambridge than four years ago. Panther Taxis said that they are “fully committed to accommodating wheelchair users”, by helping “driver-partners” finance the purchase of WAVs and subsidising fares to encourage driver-partners to complete these rides. They said however,


that


demand cannot always be met due to the “diminishing number of these vehicles available”.


FEBRUARY 2023 PHTM


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