Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the availability of wheelchair accessible private hire vehicles in Newcastle.
Local licensing authorities have an important role to play in ensuring disabled people can access the taxi and private hire vehicle services that they rely upon.
In 2022 we consulted on updated best practice guidance, including recommending that authorities use their existing powers to licence mixed fleets of taxis and PHVs incorporating sufficient wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) to satisfy the demand from passengers who rely upon them. The substantive guidance will be published later this year.
We also supported the passage of the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022, which introduced important protections for disable passengers when using taxis and PHVs.