Taxi drivers breach safety regulations for wheelchair users in Walsall

Walsall Council and West Midlands Police have been out undercover again to ensure that Walsall taxis and private hire vehicles are safely carrying passengers who use a wheelchair.

The recent covert operation was carried out by community protection officers with the support of a police officer who uses a wheelchair.

The law is clear that drivers cannot refuse to take a passenger in a wheelchair, must follow clear safety procedures and not charge them any extra for their journey.

The test found that the number of breaches had decreased since an earlier spot check in March. However, it did reveal problems with two of the five journeys tested on the day.

One firm sent the wrong type of vehicle to a pick up, and another driver failed to secure both the wheelchair and passenger. The same driver also failed to set the taxi meter and then overcharged for the journey.

Lorraine Boothman, regulatory services manager said: “Public safety is a priority in our licensing role and this is why we carry out enforcement operations such as this. People with disabilities often rely on the taxi and private hire trades and we need to ensure that they can use them with confidence.

“I am really pleased to see a significant improvement in standards from the last time we carried out such an operation. It was reported that one of the drivers had provided an excellent service, securing both the passenger and chair well, being both courteous and considerate.”