From: Beth Dawson [bdawson@maroondah.vic.gov.au]
Sent: Friday, 29 June, 2001 15:59
To: Disabdis@humanrights.gov.au
Subject: Inquiry into WATS

Taxi service had been pr-booked for a young man to be picked up at 6.45pm and take him to a venue of which he was attending a program.

Booking was for 6.45pm the taxi had not arrived, the family rang the taxi company at 7.59pm to find out what was happening to be informed that noone had picked up the job.

Concern for the family was that the job had not been picked up, (query insufficient WATS drivers), and that nobody had contacted them during this time to inform them that they where having problems.

When contact was made with the company the supervisors response was that they are very busy and time just flies by, normally they would ring earlier however they just forgot.

Second situation with the same young person a week latter was that he got to the program on time, however at the end of the session the taxi was 2 hours late the taxi was booked for 9pm and it arrived at 11pm this young person was only 12years old if he had not had a carer with him it would of placed him in a vulnerable situation, however it was a wet and very cold evening leaving him sitting in the cold following a swimming session unable to move around to warm himself up, this could of resulted in severe health problems. Being an able bodied person you may expect to wait up to 15 minutes for a taxi but no-longer. Why is there a difference in service delivery

Another situation occurred on a Sunday when a carer rang up to make a booking for his Son in  a wheelchair and was informed by the company that they do not manage the Disabled people's taxi's on a Sunday and he would need to contact the other cab company in the area.

This gentleman was told by a driver that they often pick up a able bodied person with a longer destination than pick up a disabled person for a short distance as it is a bigger paying job. Surely people issued with disabled taxi licence's should have to pick up a booking for this group of people over an able bodied person and they should be held accountable.

Thankyou
Denise Parker
I can be contacted via Beth Dawson's email