Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of s165 of the Equality Act 2010 in ensuring that wheelchair users are able to hire taxis.

Wheelchair users should be able to travel by taxi and private hire vehicle free from the fear of discrimination, which is why we commenced the remaining provisions of s.165 and s.167 of the Equality Act 2010 last year. An increasing number of licensing authorities are applying the requirements to drivers within their jurisdiction and we encourage the remainder to do likewise. Producing the list of wheelchair accessible vehicles provides greater protection and also increases awareness among drivers and vehicle owners of the duties and responsibilities this places on them.

We meet regularly with our statutory advisors, the Disabled Persons’ Transport Advisory Committee, regarding this and other issues affecting the travelling experience of disabled passengers, and we will continue to monitor the efficacy of the policy.