аЯрЁБс>ўџ ,.ўџџџ+џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС5@ №ПЌbjbjЯ2Я2 $­X­Xџџџџџџˆ$$$$$$$8ммм8 89 ђ@@(hhhhhhИ К К К К К К $+ R}pо $hhhhhо $$hhѓ дддh:$h$hИ дhИ дЈд| :< ,$$| h4 №VЁСмЂh œ  09 r эВ"э| 88$$$$э$| hhдhhhhhо о 88Ємд88мThe Spastic Centre Adult Consumer Advisory Forum Submission to Taxi Inquiry The Adult Consumer Advisory Form is a committee created and run by the service users of The Spastic Centre. It comprises five adults with Cerebral Palsy (a physical disability) and meets once a month to discuss current issues pertaining to disabilities, within The Spastic Centre and also the community at large. As representatives of the services users of The Spastic Centre we were enthusiastic when given the opportunity to comment on such an important issue as equal access to wheelchair accessible taxis. It is impossible to underestimate the importance that transport and in particular taxis play in the life of a person with a physical disability. For many, taxis are the only means by which they can access services such as educational, medical and recreational. It is all too easy for a person with a disability to become isolated from the community and it is access to viable and efficient transport that provides the link necessary to stop this from happening. From the personal experiences of ACAF members there is a wealth of anecdotal evidence that there is much room for improvement in the current service that people with disabilities are receiving from taxis. Our discussions on this issue revealed common themes familiar to most members, particularly those who have a severe mobility disability. Many of our service users use a wheelchair – manual or more frequently an electric wheelchair which is quite large and requires additional skills of a driver and a larger capacity taxi. These themes are: Unreasonable waiting times for taxis, particularly in the early morning and early to mid afternoon. Some taxis regularly arrive over an hour past the time booked. This is clearly an unacceptable situation especially when the person has an appointment or is going to work. Discrepancies in the type of taxi booked and the taxi that arrives. For example one member booked a taxi for himself and his wife and expressly asked for a taxi able to accommodate two wheelchairs. The taxi that arrived was only fitted out for one wheelchair and the taxi driver adamant that the base had not informed him otherwise. Taxi drivers becoming upset upon discovering that the passenger has a wheelchair or a walker, despite the taxi company obviously being informed of this fact when the taxi was booked. One member has had the humiliating experience on more than one occasion of taxis driving off and not even bothering to stop when they saw his electric wheelchair. Taxi drivers insisting that all passengers provide an M40 docket each with the full fare amount even though they are picked up from the same site and are going to the same destination. This practice is not only immoral but illegal. This practice is also unheard of in the able bodied community. As The Spastic Centre’s South West Regional Manager, Penny Baldwin pointed out “…if I go out with my husband in a taxi I expect to pay one fare…”. Sadly, it is this last point that highlights the feelings of dis-empowerment that so many people with disabilities experience. It is generally acknowledged that when this situation arises, a person with a disability is more likely to comply with the taxi driver’s demands for fear of being further discriminated against in the future. One ACAF member has noted that people with disabilities receive far better service in general when they develop a relationship with a particular taxi driver and then bypass official channels and deal with them directly. ACAF has been examining these issues for several months and we are being pro-active in addressing our concerns on behalf of the service users of The Spastic Centre, by inviting the coordinator of our taxi services to our meeting to commence frank and open discussion. Our goal is to achieve clarification on the rules and regulations that must be adhered to by both drivers and passengers and to officially register our concerns in relation to specific events that have occurred. The members of ACAF also feel it is important to acknowledge the excellent work done by the bulk of The Spastic Centre’s registered taxi drivers in transporting service users to and from their day options during the working week. We are aware of several incidents in which taxi drivers have gone over and above the call of duty in order to assist a service user and it is most unfair that these honest and reliable drivers be placed in the same group as those who are abusing their position. We applaud the efforts of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission in addressing the inequities of this essential service. It is hoped that the outcome of this inquiry will be the improvement of the wheelchair accessible taxi industry as a whole, which will inevitably lead to the enhancement of the lives of people with disabilities. Adult Consumer Advisory Forum Members: Marc Warden Adrian Lynch Murray Louden Phillip Cornwall Jenny David PAGE 1 PAGE 1 2NPъ Q Ж К Ю з @ 5Ф#J‘—˜™š›žЄЅІЇЈЌє№єц№о№цацацац№Ы№СЛСАСЛ№СЛСЃ—Л№jh4,0JU†*h3"ё0JmHnHu†*h4,0JmHnHu h4,0Jjh4,0JU h4,5h4,B*CJOJQJphh4,B*phh4,CJOJQJh4,h4,5CJOJQJ23NOPQ R " # 56HI[ЊФєѕњњјњњіієяяяяяяяллЯлєєєєє $ & FЄxЄxa$$ & F„e„›ўЄxЄx^„e`„›ўa$$a$$a$ЋўўѕжзХЦ !"#JKWdrƒ›œЈЉЊЋЌ§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§єюьєюьь§„h]„h„јџ„&`#$А‚. АЦA!А"А# $ %Аœ<@ёџ< NormalCJ_HmH sH tH J@J Heading 1$$@&a$5CJOJQJDA@ђџЁD Default Paragraph FontVi@ѓџГV  Table Normal :V і4ж4ж laі (k@єџС(No List 4 @ђ4 Footer  Ц9r .)@Ђ. 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