Cambridge City Council is pushing for mandatory training for taxi drivers to better assist wheelchair users, ensuring safety and confidence for all.
Cambridge: Taxi drivers in the city are about to get some important training. The council wants them to learn how to safely load wheelchair users into their taxis. This change is getting a lot of support, but the council needs more time to figure out the details.
The goal is simple: make sure taxi drivers know how to help wheelchair users safely. Councillor Gerri Bird shared her thoughts at a recent meeting. She mentioned times when her wheelchair wasn’t secured properly in a taxi, which can be really concerning.
She said, “I’ve been in many taxis. Some have tied me in, some haven’t. I’m really pleased we’re finally doing something about this.” She also pointed out that every disability is unique, and drivers need to understand that.
It would be great to have wheelchair users involved in the training, too. Councillor Rosy Moore agreed, saying it would help drivers learn from those who know best. That makes total sense, right?
There were also questions about who would pay for this training. Council officers didn’t have an answer yet, as they’re still figuring out how it will all work.
Other policy changes were discussed at the meeting, like requiring drivers to do daily safety checks on their taxis. They also talked about keeping operator signs on private hire vehicles and needing a full driving license for over two years before becoming a licensed taxi driver.
Councillor Tim Bick raised some concerns about the daily checks. He suggested that some checks, like tyre tread, don’t need to happen every day. He proposed creating a separate checklist for those items.
He didn’t want drivers to just go through the motions with their daily checks. Councillor Russ McPherson agreed, saying if the checklist is too much, drivers might skip it. Officers are open to these suggestions and will work on them further.
