I SEE Mr Lewis of Nexus is spouting figures again in bid to brainwash everyone into thinking that a new Taxi Link system is going to be better.

I don’t understand how he is arriving at them. I haven’t met or heard of anyone who will benefit, let alone be able to use it. I keep asking the taxi drivers and they say everyone is complaining. They haven’t either met anyone who will benefit.

Nexus says its consulted lots of disabled groups – Tyne & Wear Old People’s Forum, Newcastle City Elders, Age Concern, Better Days Project and Newcastle Learning Disabilities Partnership. Does anyone out there remember? All of the thousands of you who have told Nexus you will be using his new improved service, please write in and let us know.

Did you all have a chance to vote? How many of you voted to use the service?

Surely the people who should have been consulted are the Taxi Link members themselves?

Maybe to make things fair for everyone, Nexus should cut all the bus and metro fares by 12% to bring the whole region in line with the increase in disabled fares.

Mr Lewis can always consult his crystal ball again and tell you it’s what travellers want. It is also very kind of Mr Lewis to sympathise with the hundreds of people who will be affected and who, as he says, will have to change the way they travel.

He still doesn’t get it. We will not be able to travel. We cannot use public transport, you are taking away our one way of travel. Why can you not understand this?

You are taking away our right to travel and it’s not just a few of us. You are condemning us to a life at home. You banned scooter users from the Metro unless accompanied by someone. You are taking away our means of travel on Taxi Link.

Would anyone out there like to volunteer to be disabled? I bet not. Maybe Mr Lewis should look at his crystal ball to check if he himself may be in our situation later in life. For his sake, I hope not.

By the way, all you new members he has predicted, make sure you live within three miles of your desired travel place, because if you don’t, you won’t be able to afford to use the service either. Thanks again, Nexus.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/have-your-say/readers-letters/2008/07/04/taxi-fares-will-have-us-housebound-72703-21263970/