Most significant change to taxi and private hire vehicle accessibility legislation in 12 years
New laws to protect disabled people in England, Scotland and Wales when travelling in taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs).
- new laws will ensure disabled people receive help and can travel with dignity and confidence
- disabled people protected against extra charges and rip-off fares
- changes will benefit 13.7 million people
New laws will ensure the 13.7 million disabled people in England, Scotland and Wales receive the assistance they need and will not be charged over the odds when using taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs).
The new Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022, which came into force on 28 June, is the most significant change to taxi accessibility legislation since the Equality Act was introduced 12 years ago.
The 2022 Act amends the Equality Act 2010 to place duties on taxi drivers and PHV drivers and operators, so any disabled person has specific rights and protections to be transported and receive assistance when using a taxi or PHV without being charged extra.
As part of the amendments, taxi and PHV drivers could face fines of up to £1,000 if they fail to provide reasonable mobility assistance to disabled passengers taking a pre-booked vehicle.
This will also ensure that visually impaired passengers will be assisted by drivers to help them identify or find the vehicle. There will also be a duty for local authorities to publicly identify wheelchair-accessible vehicles in their fleets.
The measures will apply to drivers in England, Scotland and Wales and will help to provide consistency of experience for affected passengers.
For more information see link below:
For information on accessible taxis in Bracknell Forest and West Berkshire see links below:
