Aberdeen taxi drivers have branded plans to make every cab in the city wheelchair accessible “utter madness”.
Drivers currently operating wheelchair accessible vehicles have also claimed they would make more money driving a saloon taxi because the public actively avoid the disability friendly vehicles.
One driver who uses a wheelchair accessible taxi and wished to remain anonymous, said: “I’ve been in the job for 16 years, for a year I had a saloon and in that time I had more work than ever.
“I can’t take my mother in my wheelchair accessible taxi because she had a knee replacement, the taxi is too high and she can’t lift her leg to get in.
“That shows that the proposal for a 100% fleet won’t work and if they go for that it’s utter madness.”
Ken Watson, who operates a saloon taxi echoed these sentiments.
He said: “A lot of people walk past the wheelchair accessible vehicles and come to a saloon.
“A lot of customers say to me that they prefer a saloon car.
“And a lot of elderly people can’t get into the higher vehicles because they are too high.”
Although Marc Anderson, who drives a wheelchair accessible taxi disagrees.
He said: “I don’t think if I had a saloon I would get more trade.
“The wheelchair accessible vehicles are easiest for everyone to get in and out of.
“Whether you are disabled, able bodied, drunk or sober you are able to get in and out of this vehicle easily.
“Saloon car drivers try to claim that people prefer the saloons but I don’t believe that.”
