NSW wheelchair user wins taxi battle

30 Mar 2011, 12:20 pm   -   Source: AAP
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A disabled man's battle over taxis wrongly claiming to be wheelchair accessible has ended with calls for better compliance with standards.

A disabled man's five year battle over wheelchair standards for taxis has ended in victory.

Wheelchair user Greg Killeen says he has found it difficult to catch a cab for several years, because there was not enough space for him and his wheelchair in four out of 10 taxis said to be wheelchair accessible.

Out of frustration he wrote to politicians about the issue, and lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission.

A disability discrimination complaint he lodged in the Federal Court against Transport NSW and the two taxi companies had a positive outcome on Wednesday morning, with the court ruling only genuinely accessible taxis would be licensed to carry wheelchair passengers from October 1, 2011.

The application was assisted by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).

"I have been fighting to address this issue for almost five years due to its ongoing negative impact on myself and many other people who are reliant on wheelchair accessible taxis," Mr Killeen told reporters outside the Federal Court on Wednesday.

He said he first raised the issue in 2006 with then transport minister John Watkins.

"It's taken a whole lot of complaint mechanisms to get to where we are today," he said.

Mr Killeen said he believed the problem stemmed primarily from "different people having different interpretations" of what a wheelchair accessible taxi was.

"For some strange reason, the vehicles are being designed, and registered, but do not comply with the standards."

A spokesman for PIAC said that as a result of Wednesday's court ruling, Transport NSW would increase the minimum amount of usable space within all new wheelchair accessible taxis, from October 1.

"Under previous guidelines, some wheelchair accessible taxis were unsafe because doors failed to close properly and access ramps intruded into the space where passengers were supposed to sit," he said.

"The new rules resolve the problem. Transport NSW will increase the minimum amount of usable space within all new wheelchair accessible taxis.

"This is a welcome development. It means wheelchair users can feel confident that wheelchair accessible taxis are safe and usable."

He said he believed taxi licences for wheelchair accessible taxis were cheaper than for regular taxis.

The fee for wheelchair taxis is set by the Director-General of Transport NSW, whereas standard taxi licences are auctioned.

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