EQUALITY ACT 2010 as amended by the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022 - Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles
These Acts make it a criminal offence for drivers of designated taxi and private hire vehicles to refuse to carry passengers in standard manual wheelchairs, to fail to provide them with appropriate assistance or to charge them extra.
All drivers of taxis and private hire vehicles have a duty to carry and assist disabled passengers
This means they must
- Not refuse to take a person in your the vehicle because of their disability
- Not make an extra charge for carrying a disabled passenger
- Not leave the meter running whilst assisting a disabled passenger get in or out of the vehicle.
- Give such mobility assistance as reasonably required.
If, when they take a booking, the customer makes them aware that a passenger is disabled, they have a duty to assist the passenger to identify the vehicle. Here are some examples
- give audio directions such as phoning the customer when the vehicle has arrived
- give visual directions such as colour and registration of the vehicle that will be arriving
A private hire operator you cannot to refuse to accept a booking or make any additional charge because the passenger is disabled.
The requirements to give mobility assistance do not apply to drivers who have a valid medical exemption certificate and are displaying a valid exemption notice. If the driver is exempt then they will have been issued with an exemption notice. This notice must be displayed in the near side window for approaching passengers and wheelchair users to see.
Any complaints about drivers or operators not meeting the above obligations should be reported to the Licensing Team who will investigate the matter. You can email us on licensing@stroud.gov.uk or ring on 01453 754440