HOW WILL TRAINING HELP ME?

There are a number of reasons why taking a disability awareness course and providing an inclusive, positive kind of customer service are important for taxi drivers:

Increased use of taxis by disabled people because they will be confident of getting a good quality service
Taxis used all year round and especially in less busy periods by disabled people including Taxicard users
Protection for themselves from injury because they will have a better understanding that the ramps and other facilities should be used at all times
Reduced chance of breaking taxi driver rules and avoiding being chased up for it
Increased quality service to disabled people including safer and more comfortable journeys
Better confidence in dealing with disabled customers
Reduced concern about maybe saying or doing the wrong thing
Better understanding of the needs of disabled people

Disability Rights Commission web site

DRC campaign web site

The Disability Rights Commission has recently had a campaign showing that disabled people are currently half as likely to have a job, get a place at University or leave school with any qualifications. While they and we are working to improve this situation, it is also true that disabled people are about twice as likely to want to use taxis as everybody else. This means that a taxi driver who takes disabled passengers has a lot more potential customers and therefore income.

The Disability Discrimination Act already means that it is an offence for drivers of accessible taxis to refuse to carry a passenger on the grounds of their disability unless the driver holds and displays a specific medical exemption certificate. By 2012, all licensed taxis and cabs will have to be accessible, and already some licensing authorities require that all new taxis are accessible.

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