Taxi driving new life for disabled Raetihi man

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 30, 17 December 1985, Page 9

Taxi driving new life for disabled Raetihi man

Raetihi taxi driver, Todd Peck, probably the only disabled taxi driver in New Zeaiand, is doing well. Todd bought Waimarino Taxis fom Victor Taiaroa and began driving his modified taxi in October. Although the business had become run down. Todd is bringing it back up to standard with 24-hour, seven-day-a-week service. T odd became a paraplegic when a glider he was flying crashed at Taupo in January 1983. After his recovery he was unemployed but worked for Sven Elfstrom at Turoa Taxis for a time, handling calls for taxis. Sven suggested to Todd that he purchase Waimarino Taxis, and the Accident Compensation Corporation thought it was a good idea as well. The corporation provided him with a suspensory and self-employment loan to help it get the business off the ground, and also paid for modifications to the taxi so that it could be driven solely by hand controls. Although Todd's injuries theoretically do not allow

him to walk, he has recently been able to get out of his wheelchair and move with the help of a walking stick. He is unable to lift heavy items of luggage but says most people are understanding about this. If he is

required to lift light luggage, the passenger has to pay for it. Todd says that the transition from unemployment to owning his business was quite a shock to the system. However he believes it has paid off and would much prefer to drive than be unemployed or work in an office. "Being unemployed gives you nothing to get up for in the morning," he said. He would like to see more disabled people become taxi d rivers. "The choices are very limited for disabled people — often it's either office work or nothing, and 1 refuse to go .into an office. With this job I'm out and about all the time." At the moment Todd is concentrating on getting the business going again and becoming better known. He thinks he may employ another driver in the future when demand builds up.

Todd, who has lived in Raetihi for five years, worked for Winstone Samsung Industries Ltd pulp mill before his accident, and before that he was in the New Zeaiand Navy for seven years.