Taxi firm in disabled row

4:26pm Tuesday 2nd October 2007

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A Tewkesbury man is threatening to take a Tewkesbury taxi firm to the Disabled Rights Commission after a driver refused to pick up his wife.

Chris Smith booked a taxi from TC Private Hire, to take his wife Christine, who suffers from cerebral palsy, from their home at Pamington Fields to Northway shopping.

Shortly after making the call they were phoned by the company's controller to say that the driver would not be picking her up because it would take her 20 minutes to get in and a further 20 minutes to get out of the vehicle.

Chris says this is ridiculous and that she has never had problems with other taxi firms, which they use on a regular basis.

Nigel Woodward the owner of TC Private Hire said that the call came on a Sunday and the only vehicle available at that time was a large people carrier, which has a very high floor.

"The driver was worried that she might fall and hurt herself."

"I am disabled myself and the driver will not let me go in it because it so high.

If we had had a car to send we would have sent it," he said.

Nigel has artificial leg following an accident 12 years ago.

Mr Smith contacted the borough council's disabled discrimination officer Sandy McMillan, who called at the taxi office to discuss the situation.

Mr Woodward said that this was the first he heard about the matter and through her, he apologised to the Smiths.

"If they had contacted me I would have apologised to them in person, but they went straight to the council," he said.

Mr Smith said: "I am not accepting his apology, my wife deserves better than this.

"I have never seen her so upset and distraught."