Plan to boost number of wheelchair friendly taxis

North East Lincolnshire councillors were told only 16% of the area's taxis were wheelchair accessible

Only 16% of taxis operating in North East Lincolnshire are wheelchair accessible, a council meeting heard.

A committee was told the number had dropped from a peak of 47% of vehicles before regulations were changed in 2013.

This allowed wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV) to revert to saloon style cars if the driver applied for a medical exemption, the exemption was removed last year.

Councillors voted to keep all existing WAV and make all new hackney carriage applicants have wheelchair facilities.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), councillors also recommended not removing a limit on the number of licenced taxis.

Currently, there are 204 taxis in the area with a limit of 220 licences.

They also approved the current policy of allowing vehicles to use any fuel source, rather than a recommendation that new taxis should be electric or hybrid-powered.

Councillor Robson Augusta, chairman of the committee, told the LDRS this was ruled out on the basis of high cost concerns for drivers and associated infrastructure not being readily available, especially for taxis.

The proposed changes will be subject to a consultation with drivers and the North East Lincolnshire Hackney Carriage Association over the next few weeks.

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