No wheelchair taxis after 6pm in Derry

A young wheelchair user in the city said the lack of wheelchair accessible taxis here in the evenings was seriously hampering her independence.

Patricia Clifford from the Inch View area of Derry added she knew of several other wheelchair users who were also finding it difficult to socialise or attend night-time events because of the taxi shortage. 

Patricia said she contacted Derry Now to highlight the issue having spent one full day last week unsuccessfully attempting to book a wheelchair accessible taxi for a special event.

Patricia Clifford: 'Lack of accessible transport hampering independence of wheelchair users'.

“My sister, Carol, got me tickets for the Dominic Kirwan concert in the Millennium Forum on Thursday (February 16) and I have been looking forward to it ever since. I have been a Dominic Kirwan fan for years. The concert starts at 8pm and is over at midnight,” said Patricia.

“I have cerebral palsy and use a wheelchair all the time. On Tuesday past, I spent the whole day  trying to book a taxi for Thursday night. I phoned every taxi firm I knew in Derry but no-one had a wheelchair accessible taxi available at night. I could not make a booking. 

“There are wheelchair accessible taxis available during the day but, it seems, these all stop operating at five o’clock. 

“I then got in touch with Bridge Accessible Transport, which is going to take me into town. However, I have to ‘hang about’ for a couple of hours before the concert begins because Bridge is picking me up at five o’clock. I have no other option because that is the latest time its service runs. 

“This means, someone will have to lift me out of my wheelchair and put me into a car, so I can get to the Millennium or someone will have to push me in the wheelchair. All in all, I would prefer to go to the concert in a wheelchair accessible taxi and retain my independence,” said Patricia.

Clearly frustrated, Patricia said: “The lack of wheelchair accessible taxis in the town in the evenings hinders myself and other people with disabilities so much. There is everything for people who do not have disabilities but there is nothing for people with disabilities. 

“From five o’clock in the evening we are restricted in terms of going out. It is getting me down because it is limiting my independence. 

“I was especially looking forward to the Dominic Kirwan concert because I had seen him all through covid and then I couldn’t get a taxi to take me out or leave me home.

“One company I rang said they did have two wheelchair accessible taxis but, unfortunately, one was in the garage and they could not guarantee it would be fixed in time. On top of that, they said the second car had a faulty clutch and was going to be going into the garage for repair, so they couldn’t take booking,” said Patricia.

She added: “My point is that they should have the wheelchair accessible taxis regularly maintained, instead of waiting until something goes wrong. They should always be roadworthy, so anybody with a disability can ring up and make a booking, rather than have a situation where a person thinks they have made a booking, only to be let down on the day.”

Patricia said she would like to go out a little bit more now that covid is over.

“But, when I ring a taxi, they’re just not available in the evenings,” she said, “and it is in the evenings I would like to be going out, maybe with my friends.

“During the day it is easy to get a taxi but most things are on at night. I am restricted, which is not fair. I can’t go anywhere beyond six o’clock.  

“I am not just talking about myself. I know other disabled people who are In the same boat. 

“My family is very good but I want to be independent. I want to go out with my friends on my own.It is very  frustrating.”