Lack of accessible taxis is 'absolutely ridiculous'

There is a shortage of wheelchair access vehicles

A man who travelled to Gloucester by train from Bristol had to then get a Bristolian taxi to pick him up due to the lack of accessible vehicles at his destination.

The shortage of wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) prompted a council meeting where others shared their experiences.

Another wheelchair user, Luke Griffin, asked the council if they thought it was fair a young disabled man in Gloucester could not live an equal life.

Councillor Alastair Chambers, who presented a petition signed by 2,700 people on behalf of Luke Griffin, said nine WAVs for a population of 162,000 is not enough.

Luke Griffin is a wheelchair user who raised concern to the council

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Chambers-Dubus added: “It’s absolutely ridiculous. He got the train from Bristol to Gloucester and then has had to wait for a taxi from Bristol to pick him up because there aren’t any.”

Councillor Tree Chambers-Dubus, who put forward the original motion, said everybody deserves to live the life they want to live.

She spoke to one of her constituents who is a wheelchair user and was celebrating her wedding anniversary.

“Her and her husband wanted to go out for a meal. Any of us would be planning a lovely evening out,” she said.

“They were planning this week's in advance and rang around to try and book a wheelchair accessible taxi.

"Unfortunately, on all the dates she had available the latest they could get a taxi home that would accommodate her wheelchair was 3pm.”

The council is planning to write to the government on the operating times of WAVs

Councillor Hannah Norman, who is deputy leader, put forward a friendly amendment to Labour’s motion and said the amendment sets an ambition of 10% of the fleet in Gloucester being wheelchair accessible vehicles.

She said there are five Hackney carriage and four private hire vehicles that are wheelchair accessible. However, she explained that there is no legislation that requires such vehicles to be operated 24/7.

“The council cannot stipulate the hours licensed vehicles work,” she said.

Gloucester City Council has approved new incentives to try and get cabbies to provide more disability-friendly Hackney carriages and private hire cars.

It is planning to offer a 50% rebate on operator licences to those who can evidence at least one WAV available for bookings during all evenings and during weekends.

The city council will also write to the government to ask it to consider a change to legislation to give local authorities powers to mandate operating hours of WAVs.