What Are The Rules Around Wheelchair Accessibility In Taxis?
Up until this year, it was a fairly common practice for taxis or PH operators to charge an additional fee for wheelchair users.
Operators applying a surcharge for an accessible service highlight that specialist cars with higher running costs are required. Bookings from wheelchair users also require additional time to be taken.
These additional expenses were considered a reasonable justification for charging wheelchair users extra for their journeys.
The practice has proved divisive. Some have considered it completely acceptable while others find it discriminatory.
Earlier this year, the practice was made illegal.
The Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Bill
The Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Bill was introduced to try and ‘reduce discrimination against and open opportunity for disabled people’.
To do this, the Bill proposed amending the Equality Act 2010 to ‘address inconsistencies’ in the current legislation and ensure all disabled people have fair access to taxis and PHVs.
The Bill received Royal Assent in April this year. This legislation places duties on drivers and operators to:
carry a disabled passenger, their wheelchair or mobility aids;
take “reasonable steps” to ensure that the passenger is “carried in safety and reasonable comfort”;
give the passenger such mobility assistance “as is reasonably required”; and
to not make or propose to make any additional charge for complying with these duties.
A person found guilty of committing an offence under the new rules would be liable to a fine of up to £1000.
Response to the rules
The introduction of the new rules was well received by accessibility campaigners. Wendy Morton, accessibility minister, commented saying:
‘It is fantastic that the updated legislation and guidance will help ensure that all disabled people receive assistance when using taxis and PHVs.
‘Disabled people account for around a fifth of the population and our Inclusive Transport Strategy is making travel more accessible for all.’
At the other end of the spectrum, there has been anger at the changes. Some firms have gone as far threaten the removal of their accessible services following the law change.
One firm in Scotland, Wellman Cars, informed their passengers via social media that they would no longer be able to provide a service to their disabled customers.
Following their announcement, South Lanarkshire council bosses emailed every cab company in the area to explain they would be prosecuted if they followed suit.
Local Rules
The new legislation applies across the UK but it doesn’t necessarily solve the issue of accessibility. Rules around whether taxi or PHVs need to be wheelchair accessible are decided at the local level.
In some cities, like London, all taxis are required to be wheelchair accessible under TfL’s Conditions for Fitness’ taxi licensing policy. This isn’t the case across the country.
Only 193 of the UK’s 333 local authorities mandate that all or part of the taxi fleet should be wheelchair accessible. This is only around 57% and the numbers are even worse when it comes to PHVs.
Only 13 licensing authorities have policies which state that all or part of the PHV fleet should be wheelchair accessible.
So despite the new rules in place trying to remove barriers to accessibility, there is still a major problem for disabled people when it comes to taxis.