issues with taxi! want to scream!

[bonkerz]

i could scream......i feel another battle coming on.
seem to be at loggerheads with the taxi company now!
DS gets transport though council to b e dropped of and picked up at school.
this is his 3rd year now and he has always been transported on his own with an escort (he need 1/1). In septemebr they introduced 2 other boys who both have autism same as DS to the taxi. Still only one escort!
4 weeks after starting this i had reports from DS that he hated the taxi and that one boy keeps swearing and picking on him. I decided to moniter the situation as i know socially none of the boys are able!
for 2 weeks i monitered and then i gets a call from taxi boss who said that MY son is causing problems in the car. when i asked more questions it appeas its actually a clash of personalities mixed with poor social skills and the fact is we now have a 13 yr old with colourful language and a 9 and 10 year old who scream and shout about the noise and swearing the older one is doing. DS is sensitive to noise so will kick off if he is uncomfortable with the noise level, add to that being in an enclosed space with a scratchy seat belt holding you in and there is no wonder he is getting to school in a meltdown and taking time to settle before he can start learning!
anyway on wednesday i spoke with taxi driver and escort (who are lovely!) and they both said it really wasnt working despite their best efforts but that the owner wasnt listening to them. I rang the taxi company owner who said he would ring me back........he didnt!
today i find out from the taxi driver and escort that the owner has blamed them for the issues! i am furioius, i rang the council and explained the issue and they have said they will investigate BUT i then rang the taxi owner who has said he too has rang the council but told them that things are fine!
im fuming, owner was really shitty with me, like its my fault!!!!!!

i dont want DS to lose the driver and escort he has had for 2 years and am fine with the other young boy in the taxi i just feel 3 autistic children in one car is dangerous especially as the older boy in the front has no escort near him as she is in back with DS and other boy!

if you have stuck with me then thanks! i just dont know what to do!

the school by the way have been monitoring and also agree that 3 kids in one car is not working!

[cory]

sounds awful

owner is being totally irresponsible

[vjg13]

I wouldn't deal with the owner again but just keep ringing the SEN transport.

If your feel your GP will help, ring and see if they will provide a letter saying your son is stressed/upset because of this and see if school will do something in writing too. This should encourage transport to do something about it.

You can also complain if you feel he or any of the kids are being picked up too early and spending too long in the taxi with this new arrangement which has an adverse affect on how they behave.

[PheasantPlucker]

Don't deal with the cab bloke again, just speak with the council transport people. And keep calling!

Hope it is sorted asap

[meltedmarsbars]

Completely agree, its the SEN teansport and the school who can probably sort this out - you need the school to emphasis how much the current transport is upsetting your ds's day.

[Mitchell81]

If its anything like how it works up here, then the taxi company get paid per child so if he can squeeze 3 into one bus then he will do. So definetley go through SEN transport or the school. Hope you get it sorted as seems a shame that it was all working until the put more children on the bus.

[bonkerz]

well not surprisingly noone has yet got back to me and even less surprising is that its getting worse.
Ds school have rang me 3 times already this week saying DS is turning up hyped up to the max and is having to go to the calm room for about 40 mins to calm down and this is affcting his day massively!
Have rang council again but nothing has been done and they have mentioned having to come and observe home and school before anything will be done.
In the mean time i have a little boy whose anxiety levels are ruining his day and who is refusing to get in the taxi to come home because of the issues!
If i could i would do the school run myself but its a physical and financial impossibility!