Taxi drivers and operators have a duty under the licensing law and the Equality Act 2010 to help passengers. They must offer reasonable help to someone getting in and out of a vehicle, making sure they are safe and a wheelchair is secured correctly.
Licensed drivers or operators
Guide to helping disabled passengers
Customers
Information about accessing taxis and private hire vehicles, and your rights can be found on The Travel Access Complaints Service for Disabled People (DTACS) website.
Wheelchair accessible vehicles
All Hackney Carriage vehicles in Plymouth are 100% wheelchair accessible. Individual drivers may have a valid medical exemption.
The full list of Hackney Carriage vehicles can be found on our licensing register. This register is also the designated list for the purposes of section 167 of the Equality Act 2010.
You can search for accessible private hire vehicles on our licensing register.
There are a small number of private hire vehicles that are also wheelchair accessible.
Exemptions
A driver will be issued an exemption certificate by the council if they have a medical reason for being exempt from giving mobility help to a passenger.
The certificate must be displayed in the vehicle windscreen and shown to anyone if requested.
If a driver is exempt from providing mobility help, they are not exempt from any of the other duties included in sections 164A, 165, and 165A of the Equality Act 2010.
Certificates are issued to an individual and cannot be transferred to someone else.
Drivers that share a vehicle must remove the certificate when they're not using the vehicle.
Wheelchair instructional videos
We encourage all licensed drivers to watch the following videos:
They are to help wheelchair users in and out of the vehicle and securing the wheelchair safely in the vehicle. There are many different makes and models of licensed vehicles, however the basic principles of what is required when carrying a person in a wheelchair remain the same.
Each driver must:
- follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for their specific vehicle and read these instructions before starting work
- know how the ramp mechanism works and its weight limits
- know how the vehicles' securing straps work
- make sure all straps are in good condition
How to report a vehicle refusal
If you have been the victim of an access refusal or of any other type of discrimination when using a taxi or private hire vehicle licensed by Plymouth City Council, let us know on our taxi complaints and compliments page.