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Conveying the disabled
Page 55
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• Few of the vehicles available to local authorities or voluntary organizations fully recognize the special needs of the handicapped, says a report 'Conveyance of the Disabled,' published on May 8 by the Spastics Society on behalf of a committee including representatives of the British Red Cross Society, the British Rheumatism and Arthritis Association, the Spastics Society and other interested bodies.
A survey carried out during the committee's three years of investigation reveals there is a wide range of vehicles in use which have limited and often quite inadequate adaptations due to lack of specialized knowledge and finance. Many are uncomfortable and some are a potential source of danger.
Over 80 per cent of 600 vehicles in current use are converted and under 20 per cent purpose-built. Access was considered a major problem yet over half the vehicles have no adequate facilities. Only 14 per cent have tail or side lifts and less than 10 per cent have ramps. Over half have little or no safety features particularly with regard to fire,egress in case of accidents and the anchorage of wheelchairs.
Purchase tax regulations also present problems because they penalize any vehicles other than the conventional 12-seater. An 11-seater, for example, with one space for a wheelchair instead of a 12th seat would be liable for 271 per cent additional purchase tax. This is because any unfixed seat is not a seat within the understanding of regulations covering Excise liability.
The committee has made a series of recommendations for new standards of design, safety and comfort.