7 July 2011 Left at the roadside- Trailblazers tell Parliament and transport bosses of shocking treatment
Bus and taxi firms from across the UK were put under the spotlight today as Trailblazers put their transport horror stories to them at the latest All Party Parliamentary Group for Young Disabled People Inquiry session in Parliament chaired by Paul Maynard MP.
Trailblazers called on Transport Minister Norman Baker and an audience of MPs and transport leaders for urgent action to tackle shocking problems faced by disabled bus and taxi passengers. Private taxi firms came under heavy criticism, as Trailblazers described:
• being repeatedly ignored by apparently available taxis and buses;
• relying on non-disabled members of the public to hail cabs for them;
• being sworn at by drivers;
• being charged up to double the standard fare.
Trailblazers also described how disabled public bus passengers are regularly being left stranded by drivers who claim that access ramps are broken, or who simply pull away if not at an appropriate distance from the curb to allow a wheelchair-user to board.
Trailblazers National Ambassador, Judith Merry from Aylesbury, has described being stranded alone on a London street at 12.45am after she and her mother, attempted to board a public bus. Her mother Teresa boarded, but instead of putting the bus's ramp down for Judith, the driver closed the doors and pulled away. When confronted, he claimed not to have seen Judith, despite her being in clear view. Teresa said:
What totally shocked me about this situation is that this driver was prepared to leave a young disabled girl in a wheelchair stranded at 12.45am in a very quiet part of London and he clearly had no conscience about doing so. The money that has been invested in making buses more accessible is totally wasted as long as staff training is so poor.
The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's Trailblazers Project Manager Bobby Ancil said:
I think it was important that the Minister for Transport, MPs and transport providers heard our concerns. The meeting went well and we hope that bus and taxi companies will continue to work with us to improve things on an ongoing basis.
Disabled people have the same need to use buses and taxis as non-disabled people - to get to work, to get to appointments and to socialise with friends and family.
Unfortunately, our public transport system and taxi companies have not moved forward enough to offer a basic service and fair standards to disabled passengers. Be it physical access or the attitudes of business owners and drivers, disabled travelers are facing obstacles daily that should have been left way back in the past.
The Trailblazers meetings at Westminster form part of a major national Parliamentary inquiry into the challenges that young disabled people in the UK face, including accessing higher education, breaking into the job market and accessing social and leisure facilities.
Find out more about our transport campaign and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Young Disabled People.
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