Disabled woman 'terrified' after taxi 'attack'

Ms Maxey has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and says her joints can dislocate easily

A disabled woman said she was left “terrified” after a taxi driver attempted to charge her extra for her mobility scooter and then allegedly “attacked” her.

Elanor Maxey, 32, said her left arm was "slammed " into a door and her right arm was "dislocated" after the driver “lost his temper”.

The driver told the BBC, this "didn't happen" and he didn't overcharge her or attack her.

Royal Taxis, in Spalding, Lincolnshire, who contracted the driver, said they take "complaints very seriously and had not been contacted by the customer".

Ms Maxey has said she is still receiving treatment for the injury

Ms Maxey shared the footage of the alleged attack on her social media accounts, which the BBC has seen, and reported it to the police.

Lincolnshire Police confirmed it was investigating the incident.

Ms Maxey said on 6 June after a Royal Taxi dropped her off at Spalding Station, the driver attempted to charge her extra for her mobility scooter.

"He was towering over me, he was trying to intimidate me,” she said.

After a disagreement about the fee, Ms Maxey alleged the driver attempted to steal her scooter's battery pack.

"The scooter is my lifeline, I was terrified I'd be left trapped," she added.

"The man tried to attack me when he took the battery and I wouldn't let him."

She said she grabbed the battery from the car and at this point her left arm was "slammed" into the door.

"I began recording on my phone, I wanted proof," she said.

She claimed that when the driver realised he was being recorded, he attempted to grab the phone.

"My joints dislocate easily, so when he grabbed my hand, it dislocated my right arm," she said.

Ms Maxey says discrimination against disability "must end"

A law change in 2017 saw the introduction of a £1,000 fine for taxi drivers if they "refuse to transport wheelchair users or attempt to charge them extra".

Ms Maxey said the vehicle was a hackney cab licensed through South Holland District Council.

It is understood that the taxi was therefore subject to the South Holland District Council's Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy which states licensed drivers "must ensure that no extra charges are applied for conveying persons with disabilities".

South Holland District Council said they were "troubled to hear about the experience this individual has had"

Councillor Anthony Casson, portfolio holder for public protection said: “Unfortunately the individual has not provided any detail or evidence to support her claim, preventing us from carrying out an investigation.

“We treat all matters of overcharging, discrimination or other improper behaviour by licensed taxi drivers very seriously in South Holland.

“But without the relevant information the Council has no ability to carry out the necessary investigation."

However, Ms Maxey said she had “repeatedly asked for a face to face appointment” as her disability makes email correspondence difficult.

Ms Maxey said she now feared getting another taxi, and her assistance dog had also been affected by the incident.

"We're having to reassure her and retrain her because the taxi driver was so aggressive," she said.

"Discrimination happens too often, it must stop," she added.

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