TV FAVOURITE KIM CALLS FOR SAFER TAXIS
02 March 2006 - Taxiwise

Popular actress Kim Tserkezie has called for rear-loading taxis to be banned from carrying wheelchair users after she was left with extensive injuries in an accident.

The star of BBC children’s programme Balamory was thrown out of her wheelchair onto the floor when the vehicle she was in stopped suddenly, fracturing her knee when she hit the floor. She also pulled ligaments and suffered severe cuts and bruising
The brave mother-of-one, who was left in plaster for seven weeks, said the incident proved the fears that she and national campaign Taxiwise had voiced were very real.

And she backed the organisation’s call for new rules to stop converted vans and MPVs being licensed to carry wheelchair users.

''For wheelchair users, I do not think rear-loading taxis are a safe option and they should not be allowed to be used,'' said the 32-year-old, who plays Penny Pocket in the hit kids’ TV show.

''For years I have expressed concerns about rear-loading vehicles. Being right at the back, I am always concerned about what will happen if another vehicle hits it from behind.

''Also, how do I then get out if the door is damaged? It is not a problem if it is side-loading only. There should be a rule that there have to be two exits.''

Kim was making a short trip from Gateshead to Newcastle with her ten-year-old son and her PA when the accident happened.

Her wheelchair had been secured to the floor of the Ford Connect but a seatbelt to hold her in the seat was not fitted.

Just minutes from home, the driver slammed on the brakes and Kim was catapulted out of her seat, landing heavily on her knees and twisting a leg underneath herself.

''I felt quite exposed when I was in the vehicle and came completely out of my chair when the vehicle braked suddenly,'' said Kim, formerly a presenter on BBC’s Disability Today and From The Edge.

''Apparently there was a removable seatbelt but the driver didn’t use it. It was not on display and I assumed there wasn’t one as I am so often told by drivers they don’t have straps in vehicles similar to that.

''I rely on cabs to get around and use them on a daily basis but I am becoming increasingly concerned about the type of vehicle used, particularly the rear-loading vehicles like the Fiat Doblo and the VW Sharan. If I had been in black cab, for instance, this wouldn’t have happened as I would have been properly strapped in and had my back facing forward.''

Her fears mirror those voiced by Taxiwise, the national campaign to ensure the highest safety standards are employed for vehicles used as taxis.

It believes rear-loading taxis put wheelchair users at unnecessary risk.

A spokesperson for Taxiwise said: ''What happened to Kim was horrific and just demonstrates how dangerous these vehicles can be even when an actual collision hasn’t taken place.''

For more detail on Taxiwise, log-on to www.taxiwise.com

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