Service concerns for those with disabilities

A report on the experiences of independent living by Irish people with disabilities has revealed concerns about a lack of uniformity in services and dangers for passengers in wheelchair-accessible taxis in Dublin.

One of the report's authors, Dr Pauline Conroy, said the level of services differed from region to region.

In the report a disability consultant working in transport, identified as Dermot, says there are no wheelchair-accessible taxis in Dublin that would meet objective safety criteria.

"At the moment a wheelchair user enters a taxi from the side door and Dermot knows that this is not safe as usually there is no room to reposition the wheelchair so the wheelchair user can face frontward . . . Often these taxis do not have the necessary chair restraints and even less seem to have the seat-belt restraint."

Speaking at the report's launch, Minister for Community Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív said people wanted to see services equally available around the country. He would raise the concerns about taxis with Minister for Transport Martin Cullen.