TAXI CARDS
At the Cabinet meeting on 7 June the Council are proposing a meaner regime for Taxi cards. Users will pay more, the number of journeys will be reduced and it will be harder to qualify for a taxi card – for instance if an applicant is on High rate attendance Allowance, he would no longer automatically qualify for a taxi card. Assessments will be done by Council OTs which will take longer for them to get around to applicants. The Council does not favour taxi cards being used for hospital visits even though it forgets to mention that hospital transport is getting really bad and people have to wait for hours.The Taxi card papers on the Cabinet agenda section of Ealing’s website are long and I am not going to analyse them.However I do wonder what the Councillors who represent the poorer Wards where sickness is high and who have disabled families think about their relative’s social life being reduced even further. The Council has advertised two very senior jobs recently. Why can’t the responsibilities be shared with the next rank down so that we do not have to have so many Assistant Directors? Smaller salary bill means greater front line services.
George Knox ● 5426d2 Comments