It’s been four months since Young Radio Cabs hosted a special information session to better inform local veterans of their entitlements when catching a taxi to see a doctor.
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And so far the feedback and responses have been very positive, said Young Radio Cabs president Mark Flynn.
The local taxi company decided to hold the information session last September to educate white and gold veteran cardholders about how they weren’t required to pay for transport to medical appointments.
All that was required was a signed doctor’s voucher.
“A lot of veterans thought they had to pay upfront but they don’t,” Mark said.
The entitlements also covered war widows who possessed a white or gold card.
About 30 veterans, war widows and interested parties from Young, Harden and Boorowa gathered at the Young Bowling Club for last year’s session.
It featured guest speakers NSW Taxi Council president Roy Wakelingking, director of travel for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Greg Crotty and Sharon Mills from the Veteran Access Network.
“The feedback from the day, and still now, is that they found out things they didn’t know,” Mark said.
“We’ve picked up an extra five or six people who use the cabs now, previously they have had to arrange someone to take them to the doctor.
“It gives them more independence.”
Mark said it’s the first time a session of this kind - hosted by a local taxi group - has been organised in NSW.
He said they’ve passed their format on to other groups to organise similar events.
“There’s a very close relationship between veterans and the radio cabs in Young,” Mark said.
“Veterans are a very important part to me and especially to the Young Radio Cabs,” he said.
This relationship was evident when Young war widow Joyce Lamb attended the session.
She said there was so much information from the day for her to take in, she was a little confused. But the next time she caught a taxi, she was explained the service they provided veteran cardholders.
“I don’t have very many medical appointments but I got a free taxi ride to my last one,” the gold-card veteran’s widow said.
“It’s been very helpful.”
Joyce said all she had to do was handover a voucher signed by her doctor and herself to the taxi driver at the time.
“I’m saving $8 each way,” she said.
“It’s just a little thank you for what your husband did during the war and every bit helps.”
Joyce is the widow of World War II veteran of Tobruk Bill Lamb, who passed away eight years ago.
