Looking for the perfect cab

It’s that age-old problem that what is one person’s accessible taxi is someone else’s access nightmare. But Helen Dolphin reports on a consultation which aims to find something that’s right for everyone

Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) are an important part of local transport and for disabled people who find public transport difficult to use are a very important service. But the current law on taxis and PHVs has been criticised for being complex and outdated and in desperate need of an overhaul.

One problem with taxi law is the multiplicity of legislation. Taxis, which can “ply for hire” so customers can stop them in the street, have different rules to PHVs which can only be pre-booked. In turn, each of the taxi and PHV trades is regulated by multiple statutes.

There are also different legal systems along geographical lines distinguishing Plymouth, London and the rest of England and Wales.

It’s no surprise that the laws governing the taxi trade have been described as outdated as they go back nearly four centuries to 1654 when Oliver Cromwell authorised the founding of The Fellowship of Hackney Coachmen. However, The Fellowship was disbanded in 1657 because it became too powerful. Licensing was then reformed in 1694, initially through the City of London and later through Parliament. The first major legislation governing taxis was The Hackney Carriage Act 1831 and this has been renewed and extended ever since.

Outside London taxi operations are controlled by local authorities under the provisions of various Acts of Parliament: the Town Police Clauses Act 1847, the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 [which extends the 1847 Act], the Transport Act 1985 and bye-laws subject to Home Office approval.

As a disabled person who can’t get into an “accessible” taxi I wish that there was more choice than just a hackney carriage on the ranks in London. I always have to be accompanied by someone else so they can literally pull me into the cab. If there was a standard vehicle I could just go on my own but current law prevents a saloon car from sitting on the ranks in London. However, I also appreciate the difficulty that many wheelchair-users face outside London when there are no taxis they can get into. Over the years there have been various designs discussed for a universal taxi that would accommodate both wheelchair-users and people like me who find hackney carriage style taxis impossible to get into but as yet there has not been an acceptable taxi design that met all the criteria.

But the good news for taxi-users is the Law Commission has agreed to a request by the Department for Transport to conduct a detailed review of the legislative framework that applies to taxis and private hire vehicles.

The Commission will examine the legal framework relating to taxis and PHVs with a view to making it simpler and more modern. The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) of which I am a member has been asked to participate in the review and provide information to the Commission on disability issues.

The Commission aims to publish proposals for reform in April 2012 which will be followed by a three month consultation period where the public will be able to respond to their proposals.  They plan to publish a final report with recommendations and draft bill by late 2013. So if you want to see a better taxi service this is your chance to have your say.

Consultations should begin in April 2012, more information to follow.