Large numbers of taxi drivers' medical exemption from duties to assist wheelchair users

The request was successful.

Dear North East Lincolnshire Council,

In your recent response to my FOI request, available at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/i... , you told me that you have granted to 61 taxi drivers, medical exemption from the duty to accept and assist wheelchair using passengers, under S166 of the Equality Act 2010.

This is an extraordinary number. I note that in your most recent return to the DFT, you stated that you have 60 wheelchair accessible Hackney Carriages and 0 wheelchair accessible Private Hire vehicles. Whilst I acknowledge that taxis sometimes have more than one driver, this means that you have more exempt drivers than you have wheelchair accessible vehicles. In fact, you have the highest such ratio of the 347 taxi licensing authorities in the country.

I am anxious to find out why this is the case. Please provide recorded information that shows why you have granted medical exemptions to such a high proportion of your drivers of wheelchair accessible taxis.

If submitting a different FOI request would be likely to be more productive, please advise me so under the duty to give advice and assistance set out under S16 of the Freedom of Information Act.

Thank you

Yours faithfully,

Doug Paulley

PPD - FOI, North East Lincolnshire Council

Dear Sir / Madam

I am pleased to acknowledge your request for information, which has been allocated the reference number NELC/9197/1819.

Your request has been passed to the relevant department for processing and you can expect your response within the 20 working day limit. If it will take us longer than 20 working days to respond to you, we will inform you of this and provide you with the expected date for receiving a response.

Further information about how we will deal with your Freedom of Information requests is available on our website at:
https://www.nelincs.gov.uk/council-infor....

Please feel free to contact me if you require any further information or assistance quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely

North East Lincolnshire Council

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PPD - FOI, North East Lincolnshire Council

Dear Sir / Madam

 

Thank you for your information request, reference 9197/1819. I wish to
confirm that North East Lincolnshire Council holds the following
information:

 

In your recent response to my FOI request, available at
[1]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/i...
, you told me that you have granted to 61 taxi drivers, medical exemption
from the duty to accept and assist wheelchair using passengers, under S166
of the Equality Act 2010.

 

This is an extraordinary number. I note that in your most recent return to
the DFT, you stated that you have 60 wheelchair accessible Hackney
Carriages and 0 wheelchair accessible Private Hire vehicles. Whilst I
acknowledge that taxis sometimes have more than one driver, this means
that you have more exempt drivers than you have wheelchair accessible
vehicles. In fact, you have the highest such ratio of the 347 taxi
licensing authorities in the country. 

 

We have seen an increase in medical exemptions since the licensing
committee made a decision in March 2013 to allow drivers with a medical
exemption to apply to change their WAV with a saloon.  This is something
we report back to members with to see if they wish to revisit the current
policy.  Although a recent independent Unmet Demand Survey carried out in
2017 found no issues with the WAV provision and committee decided to keep
numbers and policy the same.    

 

If you believe that your request for information has not been handled in
accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, you have the right to
request an internal review by the Council. Please be clear about which
elements of the Council’s response or handling of the request you are
unhappy with, and would like the Council to address during the internal
review process.  If following this you are still dissatisfied you may
contact the Office of the Information Commissioner. If you wish to request
an internal review, please contact me and I will make the necessary
arrangements.

 

Yours sincerely on behalf of North East Lincolnshire Council

 

Feedback Officer

Resources Directorate

 

 

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Dear PPD - FOI,

I'm afraid I don't understand; would you mind clarifying please?

You said

"We have seen an increase in medical exemptions since the licensing committee made a decision in March 2013 to allow drivers with a medical exemption to apply to change their WAV with a saloon. This is something we report back to members with to see if they wish to revisit the current policy. Although a recent independent Unmet Demand Survey carried out in 2017 found no issues with the WAV provision and committee decided to keep numbers and policy the same."

"Exchange WAV with a saloon" - do you mean that drivers who previously drove wheelchair accessible vehicles, are allowed to apply to swap it for a saloon, if they had medical exemption? Or have I misunderstood? Does this mean that the exempt drivers are not (all) now driving wheelchair accessible vehicles? Or is it really the case that you have more exempt licensed drivers of wheelchair accessible vehicles, than you have licensed wheelchair accessible vehicles?

Thank you

Doug Paulley

Yours sincerely,

Doug Paulley

PPD - FOI, North East Lincolnshire Council

Dear Sir,

 

Thank you for your correspondence in regards to the Information Request,
reference number NELC/9197/1819.

 

“Exchange WAV with a saloon”

This means that drivers who previously drove wheelchair accessible
vehicles, are allowed to apply to swap it for a saloon, if they had
medical exemption. Therefore this does mean that the exempt drivers are
not (all) now driving wheelchair accessible vehicles.

 

If you believe that your request for information has not been handled in
accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, you have the right to
request an internal review by the Council. Please be clear about which
elements of the Council’s response or handling of the request you are
unhappy with, and would like the Council to address during the internal
review process.  If following this you are still dissatisfied you may
contact the Office of the Information Commissioner. If you wish to request
an internal review, please contact me and I will make the necessary
arrangements.

 

Yours sincerely

 

North East Lincolnshire Council

 

 

Dear PPD - FOI,

 

I'm afraid I don't understand; would you mind clarifying please?

 

You said

 

"We have seen an increase in medical exemptions since the licensing
committee made a decision in March 2013 to allow drivers with a medical
exemption to apply to change their WAV with a saloon.  This is something
we report back to members with to see if they wish to revisit the current
policy.  Although a recent independent Unmet Demand Survey carried out in
2017 found no issues with the WAV provision and committee decided to keep
numbers and policy the same."

 

"Exchange WAV with a saloon" - do you mean that drivers who previously
drove wheelchair accessible vehicles, are allowed to apply to swap it for
a saloon, if they had medical exemption? Or have I misunderstood? Does
this mean that the exempt drivers are not (all) now driving wheelchair
accessible vehicles? Or is it really the case that you have more exempt
licensed drivers of wheelchair accessible vehicles, than you have licensed
wheelchair accessible vehicles?

 

Thank you

 

Doug Paulley

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Doug Paulley

 

 

 

 

 

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