A wheelchair user was charged more to take a taxi than an able-bodied person would have been for the same journey, it has been claimed.
Multiple sclerosis sufferer Jackie Paterson told MSPs at the Scottish Parliament’s infrastructure and capital investment committee she had to pay a “premium rate” for a cab to take her to the Stirling Management Centre something that could be illegal under the Equalities Act if proven.
The 52-year-old, who has been a wheelchair user since 1986, said she was left furious after challenging the company over the pricing difference.
But an operator at Brams-Premier Executive Cars in Alloa, who Mrs Paterson said she had used, claimed the practice was not discrimination and was necessary to meet costs.
Mrs Paterson said: “They did say originally it would be £18. Someone said to me, ‘That seems very expensive to me’ and when I phoned them up and asked them how much would it have been if I was not a wheelchair user I think they said £12.
“So that means there was a premium for being a wheelchair user, which I thought was just appalling.”
Mrs Paterson is a user of Stirling’s Dial-a-Journey, a charity that provides a “door-to-door” transport service for people with mobility problems who are unable to use conventional public transport.
She added: “If you went into a shop and they had to get something down off a shelf because you couldn’t reach it then they would not charge you extra for it.
“They claimed it was because it took the driver extra time to clamp down but it’s not that much. It’s not like it takes them half an hour to do it.”
When asked about charging a disabled person more than an able-bodied person to take the same journey, a spokeswoman for the Equality and Human Rights Network said there were no circumstances where charging a disabled person more for the same journey would be acceptable under the Equality Act.
The Courier contacted Brams-Premier Executive Cars for comment.
An operator who answered the phone said the policy was “not discrimination” but was necessary as it took drivers longer to get passengers in and out of vehicles and you have to “pay the drivers for their time”.
He added: “The vehicle costs more because it has to be wheelchair adaptable. Insurance costs more too.”
When asked to confirm that the company charges a disabled person more to take the same journey as an able-bodied person, he replied: “You have got to do that.”
Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser said: “This is completely unacceptable.
“There is no justifiable reason why somebody in a wheelchair should be more expensive for a taxi company to carry as a passenger than someone who is able-bodied.”