IN THE NEWS
FRUSTRATED DISABLED NOTTINGHAM MAN SAYS HE’S BEEN TOLD HE’S TOO FAT TO RIDE IN A TAXI
A man says he faces discrimination “regularly” as a wheelchair user when- ever he gets in a taxi in Nottingham. Charley Jonstone-Brent, a first year student at Nottingham Trent University, made the claims as he spoke out over the ordeal that causes him to have “huge stress and anxiety”. The Nottingham Post reports that the 20-year-old has been a wheelchair user since February after he was hit by a bus and says that he now suffers from anxiety, depression and PTSD. Not only this, but he said that he now faces discrimination on a regular basis as a result of being in a wheelchair. He said: “I am a regular user of the Not- tingham taxis, especially as a wheelchair user, it is not always easy to use a bus. On an almost daily occur-
rence the first thing a taxi driver will comment on is my weight, saying that I’m too fat to ride in their cab. “Me and my wheelchair weigh less than 300kg, the safe loading weight of the vehicle ramp. “Another thing they say is that their ramps are not working or they left their ramps at home. They should not be on the road without their ramps and it is a
criminal offence for this to happen. When they reluctantly put a ramp down, they verbally abuse me.” Mr Jonstone-Brent said he gets “this sort of comments and discrimination” from some drivers at least three times a week. He added: “I just want people to be more aware of it.” A Nottingham City Council spokes- person said: “We are aware of Mr Jonston-Brent’s concerns and we have spoken to him directly and will be look- ing into this further. All taxi drivers know that any discrimination against wheelchair users is unacceptable. “All hackney cabs in Nottingham are London-style cabs with disability access and we expect taxi operators to be responsible in offering disability accessible vehicles.”
CAR WASH WORKER CRUSHED BY PHV AS ADDISON LEE DRIVER FELL ASLEEP AT WHEEL AND ACCELERATED
A car wash attendant was crushed by an Addison Lee PHV when the driver fell asleep at the wheel and put his foot on the accelerator. The Sun reports that Elvis Radu, 30, said a “survival instinct” kicked in and it was a “miracle” that he is alive after he fought desperately to free him himself after the Addison Lee Mercedes pinned him against another car during the inci- dent at a car wash in Hayes, Middlesex. Mr Radu secured a five figure out of court settlement after suing Addison Lee. The PHV firm admitted liability for the incident in June 2018 and settled the case in April this year. The father of one said: “I was walking between two cars when suddenly an Addison Lee car accelerated towards me and pinned me against another car. “Everything happened so quickly. I thought I was going to die as no matter what I did the driver continued to
JUNE 2022
accelerate. “I was banging on the bonnet of the car to try and get him to wake up. A survival instinct kicked in and I some- how managed to get out. “When I was free my colleague saw what was happening and ran across to wake the driver.” He added: “It could have been so much worse but I am angry with the driver for falling asleep and driving into me. It was totally avoidable and has devastated my life. I was in absolute agony and was in tears as I had so much pain. Still to this day I suffer leg pain.” Mr Radu sustained crush injuries to his left leg, lower back, the left side of his hip and pelvis. He was in hospital for a week, was on
crutches for a month and had to go back to Romania so his wife could care for him. His marriage has subsequently broken down. “This incident, which could have so easily been avoided, had a huge impact on my life and continues to do so four years on,” he said. “I’ve had flashbacks ‘and often feel angry and frustrated at what it has done to my life.” Nicola Hall, a specialist personal injury lawyer at Osbornes Law, who repre- sented Mr Radu, said: “While we are pleased that Addison Lee admitted liability and we managed to secure our client a financial settlement, this incident should never have happened. “Mr Radu’s life has been drastically altered because of the negligent actions of one taxi driver. This case should serve as a warning to all motorists of the dangers of falling asleep at the wheel, even when stationary.”
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