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[PhilRich]

Can any of our Taxi Driving members enlighten me regarding health & safety Legislation preventing them from lifting a folding wheelchair into the cab boot

[05omegav6]

Depends on the circumstances... But even self employed people have rights to a safe, injury free work place... If the chair is beyond an individuals lifting ability, then they have the right to refuse carriage... If prebooked customer should request a wheel chair accessible vehicle. Local council should have a list of local firms with this ability...

Hth

[Andy B]

.... a folding wheelchair into  .....

by its very nature, it's something you'd expect to be able to pick up easily 

[05omegav6]

True enough... But without details it's a bit of an open question... I know drivers who won't lift suitcases incase they damage their back... Not saying it's right or wrong, but it just is

Disabled passengers are a bit of a specialised market, and situations like the one presented only highlight the issue. Some chairs can be knocking on the verge of 20kgs...

[Andy B]

True enough... But without details it's a bit of an open question... I know drivers who won't lift suitcases incase they damage their back... Not saying it's right or wrong, but it just is

Disabled passengers are a bit of a specialised market, and situations like the one presented only highlight the issue. Some chairs can be knocking on the verge of 20kgs...

I've just done a lifting & slinging 'course'. They seem to get defensive when you say they're just a means to shift the burden of responsibility in case you hurt yourself. It's all very well saying that this or that should be lifted with a FLT etc or you can't lift more than 25kg from the floor or more than 15kg at head height ..... but that doesn't help when you need to get the 75kg motor/gearbox in place at the top of a mixer. Th kind of job that gets handed out to be done at the week end when no/minimal white overalls are in 

[Taxi_Driver]

For Private Hire....the customer should tell the booking office that there is a folding wheelchair, which they then pass that info onto the driver. The driver can then decide not to do the job if he/she wishes.
If the customer doesn't tell the booking office and driver turns up to discover there is a wheelchair (which happens a lot), the driver can refuse the fare.

If the later happens and the customer complains to the cab company or the local council. both the cab company and council would support the drivers decision.

[Taxi_Driver]

.... a folding wheelchair into  .....

by its very nature, it's something you'd expect to be able to pick up easily 

Actually, I find most folding wheelchairs a right pain in the 'arris to pick up. They either fall apart on you or unfold as you try and lift them. And the foot supports usually fall off/get in the way in the process ......

[05omegav6]

To Andys comment about doing stuff once management have buggered off home... Which makes a mockery of the whole thing...

But as in any industry there are those who use such guidelines as an excuse to not do summat and those who are genuinely unable, Taxi drivers being no different

Legally we can refuse any fare, but should be able to stand up in court and explain why. For example "I'm sorry I cannot take you as I have a slight pain in my lower back and don't wish to aggravate it by lifting your wheel chair into my car..." sounds far more reasonable than "You're a smelly incontinent drunk who doesn't tip..."

Ok an exaggeration, but you get the gist...

Obviously any reasonable driver would make efforts to arrange a more suitable vehicle. People in the office taking bookings and those customers making bookings don't always ask or state their requirements effectively... ie sending a Saloon car to minibus bookings or minibuses without steps/ramps for an infirm passanger... So a bit of a minefield in reality

[PhilRich]

Here are the circumstances:
Got a telephone call this afternoon from my sister in law in a bit of a state. She has Cerebral Palsey & walks like a badly strung puppet, Mother in Law is 87 & has arthritic knees and can only walk a very short distance unaided. She has a lightweight folding wheelchair of the push type with small front & rear wheels. They had been out shopping & their usual Company had no cabs available for an hour so they went to the cab rank where the front driver was in conversation with two other cab drivers. When they approached him he said he would not take them because he was not allowed to lift wheelchairs because of 'elf & safety'. The two other drivers turned their backs on them & got back in their cabs. They approached other drivers in the line but were told they had to use the cab at the front! By this time they were cold, embarrassed and distressed and called me. What's happenened to Common bloody sense & Decency these days? You can lift this type of chair with one hand ffs!

[Andy B]

.... there are those who use such guidelines as an excuse to not do summat and  ....

We've a few of them, managers know who they are but it's easier & less hassle to give the job to someone they know that'l do the job without moaning

[Andy B]

Here are the circumstances:
Got a telephone call this afternoon from my sister in law in a bit of a state. She has Cerebral Palsey & walks like a badly strung puppet, Mother in Law is 87 & has arthritic knees and can only walk a very short distance unaided. She has a lightweight folding wheelchair of the push type with small front & rear wheels. They had been out shopping & their usual Company had no cabs available for an hour so they went to the cab rank where the front driver was in conversation with two other cab drivers. When they approached him he said he would not take them because he was not allowed to lift wheelchairs because of 'elf & safety'. The two other drivers turned their backs on them & got back in their cabs. They approached other drivers in the line but were told they had to use the cab at the front! By this time they were cold, embarrassed and distressed and called me. What's happenened to Common bloody sense & Decency these days? You can lift this type of chair with one hand ffs!

I think I'd complain ..... it might come to nothing but you'd know that you had

[Taxi_Driver]

What sort of cab was it Phil?

I gather it was a hackney, as you mention it was a rank...

Were they London type taxi's?

[05omegav6]

Report all the drivers to council for being self-abusers

As a customer, you are perfectly entitled to choose the cab you take... Taking the front cab is a matter of etiquette rather than legally binding. ie if you're racially afflicted and the first cab has a driver that you might not agree with, you have the right to get in a different car...

When I had the Insignia hatch I had to refuse a few jobs from the rank as the trolleys/walkers physically wouldn't fit in the boot. Having an estate helps in this regard... Putting a wheel chair in the back of the Omega/E Class was simply a matter of folding the handles down... The insignia estate requires them to be collapsed fully

[PhilRich]

What sort of cab was it Phil?

I gather it was a hackney, as you mention it was a rank...

Were they London type taxi's?

No TD, all the taxis in this town are painted yellow and the vast majority are Octavia saloons and they can only pick up passengers in the town centre at designated Ranks. There are no individual Company markings or telephone numbers etc, just the Council Registration badge at the rear and Registration Number on both front doors.

[Taxi_Driver]

Report all the drivers to council for being self-abusers

As a customer, you are perfectly entitled to choose the cab you take... Taking the front cab is a matter of etiquette rather than legally binding. ie if you're racially afflicted and the first cab has a driver that you might not agree with, you have the right to get in a different car...

When I had the Insignia hatch I had to refuse a few jobs from the rank as the trolleys/walkers physically wouldn't fit in the boot. Having an estate helps in this regard... Putting a wheel chair in the back of the Omega/E Class was simply a matter of folding the handles down... The insignia estate requires them to be collapsed fully

But then you might have to sit there until the taxis in front of you get customers....as would be the case in the taxi rank at Swindon Rail.....wonderfully designed that the only cab that can leave the rank is the one at the front