Blind man left stranded

Brent Franklin was left at Pakenham Station late at night after his taxi recorded him as a ‘no-show’.
Brent Franklin was left at Pakenham Station late at night after his taxi recorded him as a ‘no-show’.

By NICOLE WILLIAMS

IT WAS hot and late but a blind Pakenham man was left stranded at the railway station on Thursday night after Pakenham Taxis deemed him a ‘no-show’.
Brent Franklin sent for a taxi from the station at 11.20pm but when he rang to check the status he was told the taxi had said he didn’t show up.
“I rang back and I was told I was a no-show but the driver didn’t turn up,” Mr Franklin said.
“I was standing there with my dog. I always put myself right out there because I am not always sure what people see.”
Des Mattei, manager of Pakenham Taxis, said the inexperienced taxi driver was earlier harassed by a woman at Pakenham Station and was afraid to return.
“The driver was scared and didn’t want to go back to the station,” Mr Mattei said.
“In his panicked state, he didn’t realise there was a phone number on the job. We do regret that the incident occurred.”
But to make matters worse, when Mr Franklin rang Pakenham Taxis to get the number of the taxi to make a complaint, he was told it was against policy.
“I was going to make a complaint to the Victorian Taxi Directorate and I wanted the number to speed it up,” he said.
“But when you’re blind you can’t read a car number.”
During a second call on Friday he was given the taxi number but was later told the operator would be reprimanded for providing the details.
Mr Mattei says the company does not provide taxi numbers in case drivers are maliciously targeted but the Victorian Taxi Directorate can receive the information during the complaint process.
Tactile (embossed) stickers are currently fitted to each Pakenham Taxi with the car number but the policy will now be changed.
“After discussions with Brent, he indicated that the vision impaired don’t know how to read tactile stickers,” he said.
“We have also changed the policy for the visually impaired that if they need the taxi number, we will now give that out.”
Mr Franklin said changes in policy would be ineffective unless implemented correctly.