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Consultation has concluded
We are reviewing the wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) within the taxi fleet licenced by the Council and would like to hear from users of these vehicles.
Currently those Hackney Carriage (which are the type of taxi which can be flagged down or wait on a taxi rank) which are WAV are required to have side access for wheelchairs, whereas private hire (pre-booked taxis) can have either side or rear access for wheelchairs. This has historically been the case so that users can access the vehicles safely from the pavement, rather than from the road when the taxi is sitting on the rank, or pulling over to pick up a passenger.
All new hackney carriage licences that are issued are required to be WAV, and the total number of hackney carriage taxis licenced is 276, of which 87 are WAV. There are also 130 private hire vehicles licenced of which 16 are WAV. There is no requirement for private hire vehicles to be WAV.
It has been suggested that if hackney carriage vehicles were to be allowed to have a ramp at the rear of the vehicle, that there could be more WAV vehicles available for passengers. The Council would like to understand the impact on wheelchair users if changes were made to this policy.
If you would like to be involved, you can also take part in our survey below. If you have any questions, please email placeconsultations@southend.gov.uk.
Consultation Closed at 5pm on 19th December 2022
We are reviewing the wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) within the taxi fleet licenced by the Council and would like to hear from users of these vehicles.
Currently those Hackney Carriage (which are the type of taxi which can be flagged down or wait on a taxi rank) which are WAV are required to have side access for wheelchairs, whereas private hire (pre-booked taxis) can have either side or rear access for wheelchairs. This has historically been the case so that users can access the vehicles safely from the pavement, rather than from the road when the taxi is sitting on the rank, or pulling over to pick up a passenger.
All new hackney carriage licences that are issued are required to be WAV, and the total number of hackney carriage taxis licenced is 276, of which 87 are WAV. There are also 130 private hire vehicles licenced of which 16 are WAV. There is no requirement for private hire vehicles to be WAV.
It has been suggested that if hackney carriage vehicles were to be allowed to have a ramp at the rear of the vehicle, that there could be more WAV vehicles available for passengers. The Council would like to understand the impact on wheelchair users if changes were made to this policy.
If you would like to be involved, you can also take part in our survey below. If you have any questions, please email placeconsultations@southend.gov.uk.
Wheelchair Accessible Taxi Consultation has finished this stage
This consultation is open for contributions.
Under Review
Wheelchair Accessible Taxi Consultation has finished this stage
Contributions to this consultation are closed for evaluation and review. The project team will report back on key outcomes.
Final report
Wheelchair Accessible Taxi Consultation is currently at this stage
The final outcomes of the consultation are documented here. This may include a summary of all contributions collected as well as recommendations for future action.
