MOBILITY MATTERS


DUNDEE CAMPAIGNERS SEEKING TO KEEP MIXED TAXI FLEET Elderly and disabled


groups have rallied together to back calls for Dundee to retain its mixed fleet of taxis. Representatives of the Dundee Pensioners Forum, Dundee Stroke Recovery Club and Dundee Access Group expressed their views at a seminar organised by the Dundee Taxi Association (DTA) and the taxi branch of the Unite Union.


They want the city council’s licensing committee to scrap proposals for a 100 per cent fleet of wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) - an option which has split opinion among drivers.


The city council, who did not send any rep-


resentatives from the- transportation depart- ment to attend the meeting, is in the midst of carrying out a public consultation on the matter which will help steer the way the trade operates in the future.


But as previously reported in PHTM, this process has already been heavily criticised by the DTA who claim the views of many taxi users, including hun- dreds of taxi card holders, is being ignored and that the survey itself is “badly worded”.


This concern was again raised during the meeting held by Bill Blyth of the Dundee Stroke Recovery Club,


who said that despite being on the authori- ty’s list of recipients the charity had not received the survey. At present Dundee has a fleet of WAVs and saloon taxi vehi- cles. If councillors eventually decide to make it a requirement for all taxis to be WAVs then it would force around half of the cur- rent fleet off the road. The DTA and Unite want to avoid this sce- nario and argue the majority of users, especially the elderly and infirm, do not want this either.


Councillors on the licensing committee considered this option earlier this year but an angry backlash from


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cabbies resulted in them voting for a pub- lic consultation. Chairman of the DTA Graeme Stephen, highlighted at the meeting that local firm Tele Taxis handled 18,200 calls over a sin- gle week in September, out of which 1440 requested a saloon style car while just 406 asked for a WAV. “We feel the council is not listening to what people want,” he told the Courier and Adver- tiser.


“Our organisation has told the council that by having only WAVs on the road is a form of discrimination. For all those people who cannot use these larg-


er vehicles they are forced to use private hire but that means they can’t just jump in a taxi if they get caught in the rain and that is a form of dis- crimination.”


There was also sup- port for a mixed taxi fleet from the MSP for Dundee City West Joe FitzPatrick who said: “It’s clear from what was said today that most individuals want a choice of vehicle and I would support that view.”


Only one man voiced opposition to continu- ing a mixed fleet. Taxi drivers have been at loggerheads over the controversial issue for some time but a plea for cooperation


was voiced by the Dundee Hackney Association, (DHA) chairman Erik Thore- sen, just hours before the meeting.


He claimed infighting was holding up progress.


“What we want is equality within the taxi trade,” he said. “This tier system should be abolished and I hope this consultation brings the issue to an end.”


Mmmm....Here we go again - how many other pleas does a council have to hear for a mixed fleet before they take notice? And in how many other areas has the fight in favour of a mixed fleet cost untold thousands - Ed.


WOKINGHAM DRIVER REFUSED TO TAKE FARE ON RELIGIOUS GROUNDS


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A woman with terminal cancer was refused a taxi ride to a Woking- ham pub on her birthday because the driver said it was against his religion to take her somewhere that sells alcohol. Sarah McNaughton, 63, and her husband booked a taxi with local firm Prestige Cars but when the car arrived the driver informed them he would not be able to take them because the venue serves alcohol which contradicts his faith. Mr McNaughton, who works for the same taxi company, said: “My wife has been diag- nosed with terminal cancer and does not really go out socially. It was her birthday and she wanted to meet up with her two sisters. We phoned a cab and this guy came along and said ‘I cannot take you there’.


He said he thought the


driver was joking but then realised he was being serious and asked if he could take them to the health club next door?


But the couple were refused again as the taxi driver said he knew their intention was to go to the pub. Mr McNaughton told the Crowthorne and Sandhurst Times: “We called another cab and it came five minutes after. I really thought he was joking, and when I changed my destina- tion he still wouldn’t take me.


“I’m not a racist man by any means. But it means that guy is driv- ing a taxi and he cannot pick anyone up from supermarkets, restaurants and shops because they all sell alcohol.”


A manager from Pres- tige, who asked not to be named, said the company had spoken to the driver concerned


and were aware that he will not take passen- gers or pick them up from locations serving alcohol.


The manager said he could not comment on whether the company was allowing the driv- er to refuse fares, but said there was no problem.


Mr McNaughton con- tacted Wokingham Borough Council to find out whether the taxi driver is within his rights to refuse a fare on the grounds of religion. He also added the incident caused his wife distress.


He said: “My wife has worked behind the bar for 30 years and every- one knows her. She has not been out for a year, and the only time she goes out this hap- pens.”


A spokesperson for Wokingham Borough Council confirmed a complaint had been made.


PHTM NOVEMBER 2011


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