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Several Dial-a-Cab drivers
have forwarded an article from the Daily Telegraph to
Call Sign following the result of a Sheffield County
Court case. Headed, Judge’s ruling will force firms to cater
for the disabled, the article claimed experts were now
saying that meant shops and businesses had to provide equal
access for the disabled to all their premises. The ruling followed a case brought to court by 17-year old David Allen, a muscular dystrophy sufferer who is confined to a wheelchair. He claimed that he could not get access to his local Royal Bank of Scotland because the only way in was via some steps and as a consequence, the bank was breaking the Disability Discrimination Act. In their defence, the bank said that their other branch in Sheffield did have wheelchair access and that Mr Allen could have used that one. The judge disagreed and the bank say they intend launching an appeal. The decision begs the question; are London private hire drivers carrying on their businesses in their cars and if so, can they cater for the disabled? Although admittedly prejudiced, the view of this magazine is that minicabs / |
Are non-accessible minicabs illegal? |
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 private hire ARE carrying out their businesses in their cars, otherwise they would not be given Mayoral permission to escape the congestion charge. We asked PCO/TfL and their response was: "Transport for London is committed to ensuring all public transport services in London, including private hire vehicles, are as accessible as possible. All licensed taxis in London are required to be wheelchair accessible under the conditions of fitness, as passengers often hail them off the street. Although there is no such requirement for private hire vehicles, the Public Carriage Office (PCO) encourages private hire operators to provide accessible vehicles and passengers booking a minicab will have the opportunity to ask for a vehicle |
that is wheelchair
accessible." That in turn begs another question: Does a PCO regulation supersede the law of the land? The Royal Bank of Scotland claimed David Allen could have used another branch. Along with the PCO comment came this added sentence: "Passengers can find a list of private hire operators that have accessible vehicles on our website www.tfl.gov.uk/findaride." That again leaves the obvious question as to whether there is a difference between that quote and the Royal Bank of Scotland saying that David Allen could use the bank’s other branch? Upon the legality of that answer depends the answer to the headline of this article: Are non-accessible minicabs illegal? While true that the answer could also affect legitimate taxi companies around the UK that still use saloon cars, sadly we can only worry about our drivers in London. The PCO are always sent a copy of Call Sign and we await their comment. Alan Fisher |
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Call Sign wiper blade success! |
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| A
Call Sign article published just after Christmas
2008 on PH company Addison Lee’s sudden and mysterious "loss" of
the rear wiper blade arm from their cars as it seemed to be
blocking some of the advertising on their rear windscreens,
pointed out the obvious danger to the public with their cars
then leaving a protruding wiper blade spindle. As always, a copy
of this mag was sent to Mary Dowdye at the PCO. Before January was even out, we were told that Addison Lee had been told by the PCO to put the wiper blade arms back on and just as we would criticise the PCO if we felt the need, we are happy to offer praise when deserved and the PCO’s quick action certainly deserves praise. Addison Lee certainly do not seem to be rushing into the replacement process and we welcome the PCO’s word that just as any licensed taxi would be, their compliance officers floating around London willhave a word in their driver’s |
 ears
if they are seen without a rear wiper blade arm after February
2. It also raised a smile in the Call Sign office when we read in The Badge how the LCDC had written to the PCO on 9 January on the subject. They had obviously read our article in December, but the PCO had already acted! It also reminds us how the scribe from another trade mag phoned to congratulate us on the original story while asking if he could mention it? Of course by then it was in the public domain and all the trade mags were free to use it and certainly did, most with the hidden inference that it was they who had "discovered" it! Bad enough that Addison Lee hates this mag! Ah well… |
| Former
Dial-a-Cab driver, Bob Woodford, writes a regular column for
Call Sign from his home in Languedoc, France… CALL SIGN EN LA BELLE FRANCE |
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 I
worked a rare weekend just before my editor gave me the ‘hurry
up’ for this article and it was comforting working knowing that
Radio 5 Live was still sending back regular updates from
the football, rugby and cricket, and yes, that Millwall
threw away a 2 goal lead again!But my weekend shift had a real football theme to it. Peter Beardsley and his family found me showing out when they were waiting for a cab outside Marks |
and Sharks in Oxford Street. Peter was a smashing bloke and we
jawed all the way to the Tower Hotel about football. And what an
amazing stats man! He knew all the teams, scorers and dates
going way back and then looked after me when I got his daughter
back in good time for Ant and Dec on TV despite the
gridlock in Parliament Square that late afternoon – boy did it
pay to double-back to Lambeth Bridge and swap the Embankment
optionfor the Elephant and Castle! Amazingly, my next job featured a footballer from the other end of the scale - two lads in the Highway wanted a run down to the O2. |
One of the guys was
in a former youth academy product at Millwall, but was shown the
door by new manager Kenny Jackett, but Tommy Kilbey is
now trying to make the breakthrough down at Portsmouth. The following day, while reading the Sunday sports pages, a familiar face pulled up behind me on the South Ken rank - former Fulham midfielder and now Brentford assistant manager Terry Bullivant! As someone once said, it’s a funny old game… Be lucky, be careful out there et à bientôt…
Bob Woodford (Ex-P49) |
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