What I do want to do is an overarching blog on transport bouncing off of an interesting book I’m reading. Its by Ben Elton and called Gridlocked and was recommended by my aunty Diane and her boyfriend Dave at Sibfest. Very quickly Sibfest was the name given by work colleagues to the family gathering I attended Saturday. Beyond this my weekend was minimal due to feeling under par. Diane and Dave have ME and a guest blog on the subject is coming soon.

So without ruining or spoiling the book, it is a thriller about the head of a motor company wanting to kill an inventor for their new invention that could kill the entire road industry. The twist is the inventor has cerebral palsy and the reason for the invention is to win the love of a girl who was put in a wheelchair due to a car hitting her. The invention will allow her to be more mobile.

The point is while the book is well written, with a great plot and hilariously funny, it also explains disability so well. For example the way taht getting a wheelchair on a bus results in people staring the way you do at a person holding you up at the supermarket checkout while they write a cheque (the same as when I am carried on to planes too). Also how taxis are just hit and miss if they stop, but then the tube!

He looks at this as a parallel to apartheid in South Africa, which sounds way OTT. However when you see that a citizen of the UK cannot access the main form of transport in the capital city it is incredulous. Realism says that there’s money and physical limitations to changing the Victorian underground. Flip side is even if it takes 100 years we should seek to practically stop this basic form of segregation.

Outlining these issue here does not show the humour and vigour of the book. Please do read it! It does show how my car breaking stresses me much more. It is my lower stressed route to everywhere. Any other transport thoughts, please do share…

The financial assessment and adapting of the car was smooth, unlike 6 years ago when getting my first van. Historically the paperwork and preparation was so time draining it put people off even looking. If you want info on the assessment stage and learning to drive please email me.

The problems started after I collected the vehicle around 2 months ago. Since then I have had to take the car to the garage 3 times, twice it was towed for the same fault and the most recent time took over 3 weeks to mend it.

The effect is not being able to get in the tow truck and being stranded at the breakdown location, while the breakdown company take the car away. Once home I am stuck in London as the train station near my parents is too far and there is no way to go from the station to their home. In London I have to go everywhere with my PA’s unlike when driving my car alone. Many buses refuse access especially in rush hour, which is when I’m going to work due to “no room for the wheelchair”, “ramp doesn’t work” or “wait for the next one, there’s a pram on”. In arriving late to work and stressed, I have had to keep chasing the garage and Motability to see what progress has been made with my car.

I decided yesterday that the process and system could be improved. The breakdown company, Motability and the garage either pass the buck or more likely do believe it’s simply not their responsibility with each scenario.

From my point it can’t be assumed I can keep spending my working day arranging all of this and driving back and forth to the garage every other week. Also I have paid for a car, as well as forgone monthly income for it, yet I have barely used it. As a customer/purchaser this can’t be right.

It comes back to intervention. Without the government run Motability scheme I could not afford to drive. This is not a private market. In the realms of that the breakdown company need their cut for towing, they still should be more aware that if a customer can’t get in the tow truck on a Sunday they can help out beyond the “policy guidelines” to help that person home. The garage needs to be paid for their knowledge, time and technology, which they are. But once they’ve adapted the vehicle for larger sums of money, their after sales service should be just as apt as if there were many other places vying for my business. Unfortunately this is a seller’s market with little enforcement of standards due to fact the government will pay for the work regardless, but no accountability from delayed times and inefficiencies on the customers are considered. A market based on social values – disabled people driving and being independent – does not have the social business model that should be demanded.

Without intervention the demand for certain products is too small to stimulate the supply. So if the ideal market generally is a government stimulated one, they need to ensure a contract is won on strict terms of before and after sales service. Maybe the customer should be contacted to discuss their experience of the process to review this. However until alternative adaptation specialists are in abundance it feels like one is metaphorically over a barrel with no alternative. If you buy food at a restaurant you don’t like, you go somewhere else right?

I have given these thoughts to Motability and I hope they will enforce these improvements in the process for me and for others. I will keep you posted on the response in up to 5 working days.