A band of taxi drivers are calling for a review of a ruling which states that all hackney carriages must be wheelchair accessible.
Since 2009, Bradford’s council has stated that hackney carriage licences can only be granted to drivers with wheelchair accessible vehicles. Members of the Keighley and Bradford Taxi Drivers’ Association are now claiming that many of their older passengers have difficulty getting in and out of the vehicles, most of which are adapted people carriers or vans.
View from the Driving Seat
Shabir Ahmed, chairman of the drivers’ association, believes that there is no need for there to be as many as 218 wheelchair accessible taxis on the road. Ahmed argues that new saloon cars should be considered for licensing too.
Zulfiquar Ali, a 15-year veteran of the taxi-trade, has called into question the council’s reasoning. He said: “When older people want to get into a taxi, they can’t lift their legs up. They want to come and sit on a normal seat and pull their legs in. It would be so easy for them but the councillors say people find it easier to get into these taxis.”
Council Response
Ali and Ahmed’s standpoint has been met with opposition from local organisation Bradford and District Disabled People’s Forum, which said that arrangements should be kept as they are. Emmerson Walgrove, deputy chairman for the group, said: “Anyone struggling to get onto a higher seat could easily be offered some assistance, such as a stool to stand on.”
Founder of Bradford and District Senior Power, Jean Walker, gave her opinion on the changes proposed by drivers, she said: “I do a lot of work on isolation and anything that makes it easier for people with disabilities to get around is fine. If you are disabled, you need transport to be available when you need to use it […] anything that makes it harder for disabled people to get out isn’t the way forward.”
Bradford Council has dismissed the idea of a review, with Councillor David Green commenting: “There is no evidence that members of the public are discriminated against by wheelchair accessible vehicles as there are many vehicle variants offering a choice of vehicle type. Many people with walking and movement difficulty prefer a vehicle that can be accessed without having to lower themselves on to a low level seat.”
Although Bradford Taxi Drivers’ Association members claim that wheelchair-friendly vehicles are expensive and uncomfortable, David Green is standing firm on the decision.