New taxi law for disabled clears its first hurdle

A Bill which would prevent taxi drivers from refusing to transport disabled passengers has cleared its first hurdle in the House of Commons.

Conservative former attorney general Jeremy Wright told MPs taxis and private hire vehicles are a "vital means of transport" for the 14million disabled people in the UK as he brought forward his Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Bill.

Mr Wright said some taxi companies are still refusing to take disabled passengers, and so should be required to do so to meet the "expectations of a civilised, inclusive society".

Mr Wright said: "Among the thousands of taxi and private hire vehicle drivers who do all they can to support their disabled passengers, there are still some who refuse to carry them at all.”

The former minister said his proposals would close a loophole in the 2010 Equality Act.

He said: "The Equality Act requires drivers of designated wheelchair accessible taxis and private hire vehicles to carry a wheelchair using passengers at no extra charge, but it imposes no duty on them to carry a passenger who can transfer from a wheelchair into the vehicle, and whose wheelchair could be folded and stored for the journey.

"This Bill would create that duty."

Shadow transport minister Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi said: "Labour welcomes the ambitions of this Bill as there is much work that still needs to be done in making public transport accessible for people with disabilities."

Transport minister Wendy Morton welcomed the Bill, and gave it the Government's backing.