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Peer in wheelchair: nine taxis refused me a ride
Joe Murphy, Political Editor17.12.07
A wheelchair-bound peer has told how nine London taxis in a row refused to give her a ride.
Nicky Chapman was left stranded as the drivers each gave a different excuse for turning her away.
The discrimination against the highly respected cross-bencher has now sparked a campaign to force the Government to implement disability laws that were voted through 12 years ago but have yet to be given force.
It will come to a head tomorrow when the Government will be asked in the House of Lords when it intends to bring into force the regulations that will ban taxis from abandoning disabled people.
"Wheelchair users are no longer willing to suffer in silence, waiting in the cold, in the rain and snow for this law to be brought into force," said Baroness Chapman.
She made history as he first person with a serious congenital disability to be elevated to the Lords. Born in 1961 with brittle bone disease, she defied doctors who predicted she would be blind, deaf and have "no mental function" to carve out a career and be selected to be a People's Peer in 2005.
Although London taxis have had to be fitted with wheelchair ramps from new since 2000, the peeress said some drivers could not be bothered to use them. She said: "A sizeable number when seeing a wheelchair user at the head of a queue will do an about turn in the middle of the road to avoid having to take them."
Her "worst experience" was in July when nine taxis turned her down on flimsy pretexts. "All of them had a different excuse such as, 'I don't have a ramp', 'I've got a ramp but it's broken', or 'I have a bad back' or 'it's not my cab' etc, etc."
The latest incident happened outside a hotel in Kensington when the concierge hailed a taxi for her.
He claimed his ramps 'weren't working' and offered to take other hotel guests at the entrance instead.
When she threatened to report him, he derided her in front of the other guests, telling one in the queue: "I'd take you, but she won't let me".
Lady Chapman complained to the Public Carriage Office which decided to take action and prepared a court case - only to discover that it could not proceed as the appropriate taxi regulations sections of the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act 2005 had not been implemented after 12 years.
The campaign to enforce the law, beginning with taxis that are already fitted with ramps, is being backed by members of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Deputy chairman Baroness Prosser said the 12-year delay was "completely unacceptable".
"All this requires is a change of attitude on the part of those drivers who drive past even though they are driving an accessible taxi," she said.
Former chairman of the Disability Rights Commission Sir Bert Massie said: "In those cities where there are accessible taxis, including London, it is my experience that two taxis drive past with their hire sign on and the third driver will stop. This is blatant discrimination."
Reader views (4)
Whilst acknowledging that cabbies should do their utmost to help those in wheelchairs. The fact is that cabbies cannot buy a ‘proper’ wheelchair accessible vehicle. Even if they could the price of the vehicle would be prohibitive. Wheelchair users amount to a fraction of a cabbies customers. Who is going to pay for an expensively equipped vehicle?
The Taxis that are prescribed for use (and a cabbie has no choice in this) are an hotch potch when it comes to wheel chair accessibility. The wheelchair has to be excessively manhandled to get in the cab and to position safely once inside.
Minicabs cannot take a wheelchair at all. Where is the legislation that protects wheelchair uses there? The authorities excuse minicabs by stating that minicabs are not hailed on the streets will not wash. Most disability ride would be book via a telephone.
J Wright
- John Wright, London
Sara in London: you are diverting attention from the main point. 'Wheelchair user', whether current and fashionable or not, suggests an element of choice in the mode of conveyance, which is quite clearly not the case for someone like Nicky Chapman, whom you are doing no favours.
Leave aside the politically correct verbiage, and concentrate on disciplining the cab drivers who left the poor thing to her own devices.
- Sam Webster, London
Sounds like part of the test to gain 'the knowledge' should be an obligatory half day in a wheelchair out and about in Central London, with the brief to get from A to B, from one side of London to another. An empathy exercise like that would show all potential cabbies the hazards wheelchair users have with all transport in London.
- Anni, SW London
For an article highlighting disability rights, it's a shame that the author chose to use outdated medical language i.e. wheelchair-bound and not wheelchair user. Maybe he should refer to language guidelines which were on the old DRC website and I should think have been transferred to the combined qualities commission.
Why doesn't the article refer to last week's news on the discrimination of wheelchair users and other disabled people trying to go on London's bus network. Too many claim that the bus ramps don't work when they are meant to have been checked each day before leaving the garage. There ramps are either so frequently breaking that an investigation needs to be undertaken and a public statement made or an investigation as to why drivers are using breakdowns as a daily excuse. I suspect the answer is the latter.
- Sara, London
