Disability Equality Training for Taxi Drivers

The BDRC has secured a further three-year contract with Birmingham City Council to deliver disability equality training to new private hire and hackney carriage taxi drivers wishing to operate in the city. The new contract, which starts in September 2006, will see 1,000 taxi drivers each year receive disability equality training before being issued with a licence from Birmingham City Council.

Louise Simmons, BDRC Chief Executive explains the rationale behind the training.

"In the past, disabled people have often been discriminated against when trying to book and/or access private hire or hackney carriage vehicles. We have heard some terrible accounts of disabled people being stranded, over-charged or refused access to a taxi. Part 5 of the Disability Discrimination Act, made it illegal for taxi drivers and indeed any passenger transport operators, to discrimate against a person on grounds of their disability.

The training we undertake helps to ensure that taxi drives in Birmingham understand the requirements of the Act; have a greater awareness of how best to support people with different disabilites to access their taxi and learn more about the range of accessible vehicles on the market, together with various aids and adaptations drivers should have available to assist a disabled person in to and out of a taxi."

Louise Simmons added:

"We are pleased that Birmingham City Council continues to have disabled people high on its agenda and we are delighted that we will be able to continue to provide this innovative training for a further 3 years."

The BDRC is always keen to hear from disabled people about their experiences of using private hire and hackney carriage vehicles.

BDRC Training Co-ordinator Elaine Watson explains:

"Disabled people's experiences inform our training delivery and help us to monitor whether things are improving. If you have an experience you would like to share - good or bad - please contact me. I would very much like to hear from you."

The BDRC has a proven track record in delivering disability equality training to taxi drivers having held a smiliar contract with Birmingham City Council for the past 2.5 years and having organised various open days and taxi demonstration days for taxi drivers in various council areas.

The BDRC has also been actively involved in the recent production of a new interactive DVD produced by Go Skills, the Sector Skills Council (SCC) for Passenger Transport called 'This Time Every Time'. The DVD is a disablility training resource for taxi drivers promoting greater awareness of passenger needs.

For further details or to order a copy, refer to the Go Skills website. If you would like to learn more about the BDRC's work with taxi drivers or its work in the wider public transport field, please contact either Louise Simmons, Chief Executive or James Brown, Business Development Manager.