DEPARTMENT FOR
TRANSPORT News Release (018) issued by COI News Distribution
Service. 2 February 2009
New proposals to
improve access to taxis for disabled people have been launched by
Transport Minister Paul Clark.
The consultation asks for feedback on improvements that could be
made to the design of vehicles and how taxi companies can offer a
better service to people with mobility issues.
Transport Minister Paul Clark said;
"I know that taxis are essential for many people with
disabilities - helping them to live independent lives, and get
more easily from A to B.
"That's why we're launching this consultation - to
find ways of ensuring that taxis are available that meet
people's needs"
Under the Disability Discrimination Act it is already unlawful
for taxi drivers to discriminate against disabled people and they
have a responsibility to provide a full service to all passengers.
However, this is currently difficult to enforce by law and there
is no universal standard for what constitutes an accessible taxi.
The Government has therefore published a public consultation to
discuss the most effective way of improving access to taxis for
people with a variety of disabilities. It asks for views on;
* improving access to taxis so that people with different types
of impairment or disability can receive an equal level of
service provision;
* a set standard for accessibility in
taxis;
* whether the standard should be issued as guidance or
introduced as a regulation;
* exploring issues and options in
relation to enforcement, driver training and links with other
local transport policies and initiatives;
* improving enforcement.
Notes to Editors
1. The consultation can be found here http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/consulttaxis
and closes on 24th April 2009.
2. Following this consultation, we will publish a policy strategy
in Summer 2009 that will set out in detail the conclusions of the
consultation and the way forward.
3. There are a total of 85,000 taxis in England and Wales.
40,000 of these are accessible, purpose built vehicles; over half
of these are in London. There are approximately 140,000 private
hire vehicles in the UK, around 45,000 of which are in London.
4. The Disability Discrimination Act (part 3) gives disabled
people a "right of access" to goods, services and
facilities. Taxi drivers have to take reasonable steps to ensure
that disabled people are able to use their vehicles, but they do
not have to modify the vehicle itself. Commencing section 36 of
DDA will enable improved enforcement of driver duties towards
disabled people.
5. The Department for Work and Pensions estimate that there are
currently over 10 million disabled people in Britain, 4.6 million
of which are over state pension age. 700,000 are children. One
in four households has a disabled member.
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport
Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk