Availability of Wheelchair Accessible Taxis/PHVs

The request was partially successful.

Dear Telford and Wrekin Council,
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE TAXIS/PRIVATE HIRE VEHICLES (“WAVs”)-AVAILABILITY
This study is concerned with actual rather than notional availability of wheelchair accessible taxis and PHVs (“WAVs”). Individuals and some organisations can have great difficulty obtaining WAVs when and where required. As a generality, in rural/semi-rural areas or at schooltimes, on some evenings and on Sundays. This seeks to begin to clarify why this occurs and what does and does not work to improve the situation.
1. TAXI STATISTICS : How many a)wheelchair accessible taxis; b) other taxis c) wheelchair accessible phvs d) other phvs do you have licensed? This is to update the 2015 DfT statistics, the 2017 update is due shortly.
2. TAXI POLICY & PUBLIC SECTOR EQUALITY DUTY : FACTORS AFFECTING AVAILABILITY:
Typical factors affecting availability in a given licensing area are:
a) whether individual licensing authorities require a fully or substantially WAV fleet;
b) LA (eg SEN, schools, social care) and NHS (eg goods, staff ,NEPTS etc ) contracts;
c) not making all WAV operators booking/ contact details publically available;
d) operators refusal of prebookings;
e) operators refusal to carry wheelchairs;
f) drivers medical exemptions (wheelchair and assistance dog);
g) significantly more people relative to resident population eg commuters, tourists, passengers in transit;
h) private contracts, driver rest, vehicle repair and maintenance etc;
Please say if and how your taxi policy takes into account each of a)-h) above, or anything else relevant to try to ensure that sufficient WAVs are available to meet demand .*
3. CONTACT INFORMATION:*
To enable further research into accuracy, reliability, consistency and completeness of public and commercial information please provide a list/ spreadsheet/link etc showing the business contact details for all WAV operators with which your authority has dealings (eg as a Licensing Authority or contracting party including for Unitary Authorities, SEN, social services etc. In two-tier authorities please also state the contracting authority).
4. RAIL INDUSTRY : *
To obtain approval by the rail regulator, of their Disabled Persons Protection Policies (“DPPPs”) in order to meet the requirements of their operating licences, station and Train Operating Companies (“TOCs”) should know about WAV availability both for their own needs (rail disruption etc) and to inform passengers.
What arrangements if any have you made to inform them or to ensure that licensed WAV operators do so?
5. INFORMATION FOR TOURISTS , AIR/SEA/RAIL etc PASSENGERS IN TRANSIT ;*
Does your authorities information (including websites & social media) clearly tell the public:
a) the contact details for all WAVs licensed by your authority? If not, why not?; b)if and when WAVS are likely to be hard to obtain?;
c) that TAXI/PHV operators may charge extra etc to carry wheelchairs? (ie unless and until s167 is formally commenced).
6. COMPETITION.
Large authorities responsible for schools/SEN Transport can typically spend around £10m-£11m annually on taxis, including many WAVs .
Have you carried out or collaborated with any value for money studies on this? With what outcome?

Having discussed this matter with the ICO I wish to draw the following to your attention:
1. RE-USE OF INFORMATION PREVIOUSLY SUPPLIED
To minimise duplication I intend to re-use information on wheelchair accessible taxis/PHVs recently provided by your authority to Mr Doug Paulley in response to his Freedom of Information Request. This is for possible use by anyone interested in any way in disability and transport , including government, and is NOT for commercial gain.
2. *If providing the information in exactly the form requested is onerous, but is available in another easier to provide form (eg in a report or printed document) please say so as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully,

Dick Fowler

Telford and Wrekin Council

Dear Mr Fowler

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000 Acknowledgement -TWC-46459

Thank you for your request for information received by us on 21 August
2017 asking for the following:

 

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE TAXIS/PRIVATE HIRE VEHICLES (“WAVs”)-AVAILABILITY
This study is concerned with actual rather than notional availability of
wheelchair accessible taxis and PHVs (“WAVs”). Individuals and some
organisations can have great difficulty obtaining WAVs when and where
required. As a generality, in rural/semi-rural areas or at schooltimes, on
some evenings and on Sundays. This seeks to begin to clarify why this
occurs and what does and does not work to improve the situation.

1. TAXI STATISTICS : How many a)wheelchair accessible taxis; b) other
taxis c) wheelchair accessible phvs d) other phvs do you have licensed?
This is to update the 2015 DfT statistics, the 2017 update is due shortly.

2. TAXI POLICY & PUBLIC SECTOR EQUALITY DUTY : FACTORS AFFECTING
AVAILABILITY:

Typical factors affecting availability in a given licensing area are:

a) whether individual licensing authorities require a fully or
substantially WAV fleet;

b) LA (eg SEN, schools, social care) and NHS (eg goods, staff ,NEPTS etc )
contracts;

c) not making all WAV operators booking/ contact details publically
available;

d) operators refusal of prebookings;

e) operators refusal to carry wheelchairs;

f) drivers medical exemptions (wheelchair and assistance dog);

g) significantly more people relative to resident population eg commuters,
tourists, passengers in transit;

h) private contracts, driver rest, vehicle repair and maintenance etc;
Please say if and how your taxi policy takes into account each of a)-h)
above, or anything else relevant to try to ensure that sufficient WAVs are
available to meet demand .* 3. CONTACT INFORMATION:* To enable further
research into accuracy, reliability, consistency and completeness of
public and commercial information please provide a list/ spreadsheet/link
etc showing the business contact details for all WAV operators with which
your authority has dealings (eg as a Licensing Authority or contracting
party including for Unitary Authorities, SEN, social services etc. In
two-tier authorities please also state the contracting authority).

4. RAIL INDUSTRY : *

To obtain approval by the rail regulator, of their Disabled Persons
Protection Policies (“DPPPs”) in order to meet the requirements of their
operating licences, station and Train Operating Companies (“TOCs”) should
know about WAV availability both for their own needs (rail disruption etc)
and to inform passengers.

What arrangements if any have you made to inform them or to ensure that
licensed WAV operators do so?

5. INFORMATION FOR TOURISTS , AIR/SEA/RAIL etc PASSENGERS IN TRANSIT ;*
Does your authorities information (including websites & social media)
clearly tell the public:

a) the contact details for all WAVs licensed by your authority? If not,
why not?; b)if and when WAVS are likely to be hard to obtain?;

c) that TAXI/PHV operators may charge extra etc to carry wheelchairs? (ie
unless and until s167 is formally commenced).

6. COMPETITION.

Large authorities responsible for schools/SEN Transport can typically
spend around £10m-£11m annually on taxis, including many WAVs .

Have you carried out or collaborated with any value for money studies on
this? With what outcome?

 

The Freedom of Information Act requires us to provide this information to
you within 20 working days of receiving your request. Therefore we will
aim to respond to you by the 19 September 2017

However, if the information you request is subject to an exemption which
prevents us from releasing it, as defined by the Act, we will issue you
with a Refusal Notice together with your rights of appeal.  

There are circumstances where a fee may be payable by you to cover
administration costs (e.g. printing, copying, postage and packaging). If
this applies to your request we will issue you with a ‘Fees Notice’
requesting payment. The fee must be paid before the information requested
is processed and released. The 20 working day time limit for responding
to your request will be suspended until payment is received.

In the meantime, if you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact
us, quoting the above reference number.

 

Yours sincerely

Nicole Pitts

Information Governance

 

Dear Telford and Wrekin Council,
your ref TWC 46459
your reply is overdue. please advise .

Yours faithfully,

Dick Fowler

Freedom of Information, Telford and Wrekin Council

Dear Mr Fowler

Thank you for your email. I apologise for the delay in getting our response to you. I am working with the service area to obtain the information for you.

I would hope to have a response to you by the end of the week.

Once again , please accept my apologies and any inconvenience this may be causing

Sarah Daffern
Audit & Governance
Governance & Legal Services

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1 Attachment

Dear Mr Fowler

Freedom of information request Reference TWC-46459

 

Please find attached your response

 

Kind Regards

Information Governance

Audit,  Information Governance and Insurance Services

Finance, Audit & Information Governance

Telford & Wrekin Council

 

Telford & Wrekin Council, Audit & Information Governance, Darby House,
Lawn Central, Town Centre, Telford, TF3 4JA

 

e-mail: [Telford and Wrekin Council request email]