New requirements of the Equality Act 2010 came into force on 6 April 2017.

Sections 165 to 167 of the Equality Act 2010 provide local authorities with the power to provide a list of wheelchair accessible vehicles (i.e. "designated vehicles"), and require the drivers of those vehicles to:

• carry the passenger while in the wheelchair;
• not to make any additional charge for doing so;
• if the passenger chooses to sit in a passenger seat to carry the wheelchair;
• to take such steps as are necessary to make sure that the passenger is carried in safety and reasonable comfort
• to give the passenger such mobility assistance as is reasonably required.

Mobility assistance

The Act defines mobility assistance as assistance:

• to help the passenger to get into or out of the vehicle;
• if the passenger wishes to remain in the wheelchair, to help the passenger to get into and out of the vehicle while in the wheelchair;
• to load the passenger's luggage into or out of the vehicle;
• if the passenger does not wish to remain in the wheelchair, to load the wheelchair into or out of the vehicle.

Exemption certificates

Section 165 of the Act do not apply to drivers who have a valid medical exemption certificate and are displaying valid exemption notices. The exemption is not transferable and if the vehicle is shared by another user you must make sure the notice is removed before somebody else uses the vehicle.

The exemption notice must be displayed on in the near side window for approaching passengers and wheelchair users to see.

List of designated wheelchair taxi accessible vehicles 

The list of licensed hackney carriage and private hire vehicles designated for the purposes of Section 165 Equality Act 2010 as at June 2018.

Ian Davies 

Professional Cabs
Tel: 07973686357
Licence Number: H612 – SF16 ACZ
Car make and model: Peugeot Expert