More accessible taxis to be allowed in Swindonhttps://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/new ... d-swindon/Taxi drivers in Swindon will be able to buy and operate cars which allow wheelchairs users to enter at the rear of the vehicle.Members of Swindon Borough Council’s licensing committee unanimously approved a proposal, put forward by the Swindon Taxi Association, to allow the licensing of rear-loading vehicles to be used as Hackney carriages – the sort of taxis that can be picked up at a rank in town.
Licensing manger Kathryn Ashton said: “All new Hackney carriages licensed have to be purpose built and wheelchair accessible. There are some saloon cars operating with grandfather rights, but the rest are all accessible. At the moment we only licence side-loading vehicles.”
Ms Ashton said the council had made that decision some years ago because it was concerned about passengers in wheelchairs being unsafe if vehicles were struck from behind.
“If the committee approves the proposal, I can assure it we will still only licence purpose-built accessible vehicles, not any old van that has been converted.”
The proposal had been put forward by the town’s taxi driver association and member Andy Lucas spoke to the committee. He said: “Fewer and fewer taxi builders are making side-loading vehicles. They’re all going over to rear-loading.”
He added: “Wheelchairs are getting bigger and bigger – especially electric vehicles – and there are height restrictions on getting in at the side of the vehicle. It means there are some types of wheelchair that we cannot take. A rear-loader is a simple drive-on and reverse off and it would make it more accessible for everyone.”
Committee chairman Coun Dale Heenan said: “There’s always a need to keep these things under review and move with the times.”
The meeting dealt with another taxi-related matter.
Central government has set out statutory standards for taxis and has asked all local authorities to ensure they are meeting in their own local policies.
Ms Ashton told the committee: “We are doing all of these things already, but not in one consolidated policy.
“I’m proposing to come back to the next meeting in October with a consolidated policy document which covers all of these statutory standards, but rest assured we are already well-placed with regard to this.”
Ms Ashton’s proposal was approved unanimously by the committee.
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