Accessibility of taxis and private hire vehicles licensed
Dear West Lothian Council,
How many current hackney carriage (taxi) licensees have you issued
(over the last full year)?
How many current Private Hire vehicle licences have you issued
(over the last full year)?
What are your accessibility requirements for hackney carriage
vehicles?
Do you require hackney carriage licencesees to undergo training in
disabilty awareness and if so what does this involve?
Do you require private hire vehicle licensees to undergo training
in disability awareness and if so what does this involve?
Do you inspect the taxis and wheelchair accessible vehicles for
accessibility
Do you carry out spot checks for safety including ensuring that
wheelchair users are positioned so that they can use the seat belts
do you check that taxis have a useable step available to assist
access
do you use 'mystery disabled customers' to test the service to
disabled people. If so what were the results.
How many complaints have you had about service from disabled
passengers about taxis (over the last full year)? What percentage
is that of overall
complaints?
How many complaints have you had about service from disabled
passengers about private hire vehicles (over the last full year?
What percentage is that of
overall complaints?
How have you resolved the complaints from disabled passengers?
Do taxis capable of carrying wheelchairs get preferential access eg
bus lanes and pedestrian areas?
How many of your drivers are exempt from carrying wheelchair users
on health grounds? Are these drivers refused preferential access?
Yours faithfully,
Mary Carr
Dear Mary Carr
Information Request
Reference no. 101003697811
I refer to your request for information dated 25/03/2013 .
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West Lothian Council
Tel: 01506 775000
Email: [email address]
www.westlothian.gov.uk
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Good Afternoon
I acknowledge receipt of your request for the above, a response will be
sent to you within the statutory timescale.
Thank you
Michelle Kilcoyne
Legal Assistant
Licensing Team
01506 281606
Licensing Team email addresses;
[1][email address] - for liquor licensing and gambling
issues
[2][email address] - for all landlord registration
issues
[3][email address] - for all other miscellaneous
licensing queries including hire car licensing
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FAO Mary Carr
I refer to your FOI request dated 25 March and would advise that the
answers to your questions are –
1. Number of additional taxi licences issued from 1 April 2013
– 15, number of taxis licensed as at 31/3/13 - 166
2 Number of additional PHC licences issued from 1 April 2013
– 37, number of taxis licensed as at 31/3/13 - 283
3 Conditions attached which detail accessibility standard –
see schedule A, Conditions of Fitness for Taxis (copy attached)
4&5 The Council does not current have any such training requirement
but has agreed in principle to introduce mandatory training in the near
future. The council is currently taking part in a Scottish Government
sponsored pilot scheme for a scheme of training which includes disability
awareness training and hopes to start mandatory training in 2014.
6 Taxis and PHCs inspected by the Taxi Examination Centre
(TEC) annually against the conditions of fitness including the
accessibility standard.
7&8 Spot checks on vehicles – carried out by the TEC and Licensing
Standards Officers. Steps would be checked via this method and at annual
tests but unless vehicles are stationary or checks involve the use of
police officers it isn’t possible to stop moving vehicles to check
passenger seating.
9 Mystery disabled customers – not used
10 Complaints from disabled customers about taxis – 2,
percentage of complaints about hire car drivers and vehicle licence
holders - 10%.
11 Complaints from disabled customers about PHCs – nil
12 Complaints are investigated by TEC and may result in no
action being deemed necessary, warnings being issued to licence holders or
licence holders being reported to the Licensing Committee.
13 Taxis using bus lanes – not applicable in West Lothian
14 Drivers exempt from assisting disabled passengers on health
grounds – 17. No one is exempt from transporting wheelchair users if the
vehicle is suitable and the passenger doesn’t need assistance.
If you have any complaint about the Council’s handling of your request for
information, you may require the Council to review its actions and
decisions in relation to this response in writing within 60 working days
of the date of your request to Mrs J Whitelaw, Chief Solicitor, West
Lothian Civic Centre, Howden South Road, Livingston, EH54 6FF (01506
281626; e-mail [email address].).
You may, within a further six months, if you are dissatisfied with the
outcome or with the Council’s failure to review its actions and decisions
in relation to this response, apply in writing to the Scottish Information
Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9DS
(01334 464610; e-mail [1][email address]) requesting her
decision in this matter.
Audrey Watson, Managing Solicitor - Licensing
tel: 01506 281624
fax: 01506 281633
Postal address :
Licensing Team
West Lothian Civic Centre
Howden South Road
Livingston
West Lothian EH54 6FF
e-mail: [2][email address]
Licensing Team email addresses :
[email address] - for liquor licensing and gambling
issues; [email address] for all landlord
registration issues and [email address] - for all
other miscellaneous licensing queries including hire car licensing
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changes to benefits that are being made as a result of the Welfare Reform
programme. Information on the changes and who will be affected by them is
available online: [3]www.westlothian.gov.uk/welfarereform The council
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West Lothian Council - Data Labels:
PROTECT: PRIVATE/CONFIDENTIAL - Contains Personal or Business Sensitive
Information for authorised personnel only
INTERNAL ONLY: Contains information for council staff only
PUBLIC: All information has been approved for public disclosure
CLASSIFIED: Contains information that is subject to HMG Classifications of
'Restricted' and above
Link to Information Handling Procedure:
http://webwest1.app.westlothian.gov.uk/i...
P SAVE PAPER - Please do not print this e-mail unless absolutely
necessary.
This message, together with any attachments, is sent subject to the
following statements:
1. It is sent in confidence for the addressee only. It may
contain legally privileged information. The contents are
not to be disclosed to anyone other than the addressee.
Unauthorised recipients are requested to preserve this
confidentiality and to advise the sender immediately.
2. It does not constitute a representation which is legally
binding on the Council or which is capable of constituting
a contract and may not be founded upon in any proceedings
following hereon unless specifically indicated otherwise.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.westlothian.gov.uk/welfareref...
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