MOBILITY MATTERS
NEW SHEFFIELD TAXI FIRM SET UP AFTER HEARING DISABLED PASSENGERS ARE WAITING FOR HOURS
A collective of Sheffield taxi drivers has launched a new wheelchair- friendly cab service following horror stories of disabled customers waiting hours for rides. A. Hammed, the manager of the new, accessible taxi company, said: “This is important to me. One time I picked this elderly lady up and she had been waiting for three hours in the hospital and she was crying. It is not fair that they
waited three hours because they are disabled.”
Mr Hammed said it had become a common issue with Sheffield’s drivers as taxi companies prioritise higher numbers of jobs. He added there were also limited numbers of local drivers who had vehicles suitable for wheelchair users so Mr Hammed and some other local drivers created Time Travels. The new firm offers its services to
everyone across South Yorkshire, including airport transfers as far as Heathrow - however, there is a special emphasis on being available and accessible for passengers who have disabilities. Mr Hammed, who has been a taxi driver for 15 years, continued: “In Sheffield, there was nothing that catered for disabled people. There are none of those problems now because we are here.”
CARDIFF CABBIES “HIDE FROM ME AND REFUSE ME RATHER THAN TAKE ME AND MY GUIDE DOG”
A partially sighted man said he is “scared to use taxis” after he faced discrimination twice in one day because he uses a guide dog. Ryan Moreland said it’s not the first time he has felt uncomfortable while using taxis, but said the two incidents were “beyond the pale”. The 37-year-old said the first incident happened when he booked a taxi via the Veezu app to go to a hospital appointment in Heath on 11 April. He said he noticed the taxi driver continue past him and “hide” down his street when they clocked Ryan’s guide dog, Jamie. Ryan told WalesOnline: “I was stood outside waiting for the taxi, then he slowed down and drove to the end of my estate. He released the job [on the app] and then hid there until another driver took my job on. When another driver took my job on, he then drove off. He clocked Jamie and decided he didn’t want to take us on.” Ryan said the incident made him
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15 minutes late to his appointment. He said he couldn’t believe it when a second cabbie tried to refuse him on leaving the hospital because of his guide dog, before charging him an additional £5 for the animal. Ryan explained: “I went to the first taxi and he asked me which area I would like to travel to. Before I could answer with ‘Coryton’ he looked down and said ‘no dogs’. I said he is a guide dog. After about 30 seconds of awkward silence he said ‘I need to check’ and he went to speak to the driver behind who explained he couldn’t refuse to take us. He came back mentioned £5.
and
“I thought he meant a £5 minimum charge and it wasn’t until I got to my destination that I realised he wanted to charge me extra because I had Jamie. I was charged £20 instead of £13.30 [which was shown on the meter]. “I didn’t feel comfortable challeng- ing him. I reported it to taxi licensing and they have taken a
statement.” Regarding the first incident a Veezu spokesman confirmed the partner has been deactivated from its booking system while the incident has been referred to Cardiff council’s taxi licensing department. It is understood that the driver who picked Ryan up from the hospital was operating as a self- employed hackney
driver. A
Spokesman for Cardiff Council’s shared regulatory services said: “We have been advised of the allegations and the matters are being investigated by the licensing enforcement team” Andrea Gordon, of Guide Dogs Cymru, said: “We are taking a lead role in working with the Welsh Government on its commitment to introduce compulsory disability equality training for all taxi/PH drivers in Wales, so that guide dog owners no longer have to suffer the refusals that leave many feeling like second-class citizens.”
JUNE 2024 PHTM
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