аЯрЁБс>ўџ -/ўџџџ,џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅСq Пvbjbjt+t+ -&AAv џџџџџџ]ОООООООввввв о вЁЖііііііііfhhhhhh$WєKŒŒОіііііŒООіііі ОіОіfввООООіfPfООfіъ РђЅОДСввfManly Warringah Community Access Service 43 Carter Rd, Brookvale 2100 (02) 9907 2622 Dear Dougie, We are writing in relation to the HREOC Inquiry: Equal Access to Wheelchair Accessible Taxi Services. We have a number of issues, from the members of our service that we would like to address. In most cases people with disabilities don't have a lot of choice with transport. The bus system has only limited number of accessible buses, making taxis the major form of transport for people in wheelchairs. We would like to point out a few of our major issues. * It is only in a limited amount of accessible taxis which display the meter cost adequately. This should be visible to all passengers so they can see what they are paying. Therefore this is discrimination. *In many cases money gets in the way of customer service. We believe this is a result of too much focus on getting the fare rather than the customers needs. Eg: We recently had an experience where a taxi driver told us he could not fit 2 wheelchairs in his accessible taxi, and he was happy to take one of the passengers but the other was to catch a separate taxi. The next taxi in line was a maxi taxi, which could fit two wheelchairs in. It wasn't until we chose to take the Maxi taxi that the first taxi on the rank decided he could fit two wheelchairs in as a result of him potentially losing one fare. Therefore wasting everybody’s time. The focus as you can see is on the fare rather than the customers needs. This is discrimination. On this point the members of our service have many more examples. *In some cases entering an accessible taxi causes problems. Eg: Some powered wheelchairs are often heavy and have difficulty entering the taxi, as the ramp is too steep and dangerous. This leads to the passenger having to reverse their chair up the ramp, which could be a potential hazard. This is discrimination. *There are some things we need to rely on and taxis are definitely one of them. Accessible taxis are ALWAYS unreliable. We NEVER know whether we will be waiting for 30minutes or 3 hours! Appointments are often missed from the customers’ behalf due to bad punctuality, or simply not showing up at all. Doing something spontaneous is not an option due to the amount of effort it takes to book an accessible taxi, then wait and hope that it will turn up. This is discrimination. *We can't hail an accessible taxi therefore booking is essential, which brings us to the operators phone manner, which is simply unacceptable. In our experience they are consistently impatient and rude to the potential passenger. This is discrimination. *Drivers of accessible taxi's are generally polite, although we do believe it would be beneficial for extra training and as part of their license conditions to acquire knowledge in managing a wheelchair (how to use the breaks, how to switch power chairs off and on, how to fold up and reassemble manual wheelchairs). Communication is also an imperative part of the job. Accessible taxi drivers need to be aware of different non-vocal ways of communicating. (We understand that everybody’s communication needs are different and that a basic skills training on communication is all that is needed.) Please consider all of the above points, as we believe them to be extremely important. Looking forward to a detailed response Kind regards, The members of Manly Warringah Community Access Service. uv§CJiuv§§§ћiuv§§§+0PА‚. 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