Shire backs down on taxi permit refusal

Local taxi drivers will be issued with disability parking permits after Baw Baw Shire backed down on its decision not to reissue permits.

West Gippsland Taxis manager Bruce Moss was disappointed Baw Baw Shire decided not to re-issue disabled parking permits to the company, that allowed taxis to park in disabled car parking spaces for pick-up and drop-off for elderly passengers and people with disabilities.

But, after an article in The Gazette last week, shire staff met with Mr Moss and his wife Lorraine and on Thursday agreed to issue the permits.

A letter from the shire said following their meeting and consideration of the Code for Disabled Persons Parking, shire staff had agreed to issue permits for the 12 vehicles in West Gippsland Taxi’s fleet.

As per the code, the permits will be issued for 12 months and all permit conditions must be complied with.

Without permits, local taxi drivers would have been forced to park illegally or ask passengers to source their own individual disabled parking permits.

West Gippsland Taxis has 10 vehicles and two vehicles purposefully fitted for wheelchair access.

Initially defending the shire’s position, planning and economic development director Matthew Cripps said the permits previously issued to West Gippsland Taxis were issued by mistake.

He said rather than withdrawing them at the time (three years ago), council decided to honour the permits and not renew them when they expired.

“Disability parking permits are primarily issued to individuals. To limit the potential misuse of disability parking permits, individuals are assessed by a medical practitioner,” he said.

Mr Cripps said an individual’s permit could be used in any vehicle, including a taxi and removed the need for taxi driver’s to make an assessment on whether a passenger met disability permit requirements.

Despite this, Mr Cripps said council was “supportive of ensuring our community has services that respond to their needs.”

He said council agreed to issue permits to West Gippsland Taxis for 12 months subject to conditions.

Council also will undertake a full review of the permit process in consultation with affected stakeholders. It will also allow the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to be better understood, and how eligible Multi-Purpose Taxi Program (MTTP) members will access support.

Mr Moss said the company had previously been issued with permits allowing drivers to pull into disabled parking bays to allow people with disabilities, elderly people or people with restricted mobility easy access to central shopping areas and service facilities.

Mr Moss said drivers did not abuse the privilege of access to the bays. “We take up minimal time and parking in the central business district is abysmal,” he said.