Special Vehicles and Taxis for the Elderly and the Disabled

This chapter presents criteria for the entrance in a taxi car and for the securing of a person in wheelchair travelling in a special vehicle. Special vehicles are used to transport passengers confined to wheelchairs, but are also used at times for other types of transportation. The passengers experienced difficulty in getting into and out of taxi cars because of the narrow entrance. Passengers in the special vehicles considered that journeys were uncomfortable due to the vehicles’ rigid suspension. The taxi drivers considered that their heaviest task was to lift and help passengers in wheelchairs in and out of the car and to lift the wheelchairs into the boot of the car. The drivers of the special vehicles felt that one of the most difficult part of their job was to anchor the wheelchair because of the uncomfortable position this was carried out in.