Lists of Accessible Taxis under S167 Equality Act 2010

The request was successful.

Dear Bridgend County Borough Council,

1) Please advise if you have produced, or currently intend to produce, a list of wheelchair accessible:
a) taxis
and
b) private hire vehicles
under the powers set out in S167 of the Equality Act 2010.

2) Please identify how many a) taxi and b) PHV drivers have applied for medical / physical impairment exemption under S166 of the Equality Act 2010 since S166 was commenced. If you've created a list under S167, please identify how many of the exemptions were in place before S167 and how many have been put in since.

3) Please state whether you voluntarily compiled a list of accessible taxis and private hire vehicles following the Department for Transport's guidance of 15th September 2010, which stated, in relation to section 167, “although the list of designated vehicles will have no actual effect in law until the duties are commenced, we would urge licensing authorities to start maintaining a list as soon as possible for the purpose of liaising with the trade and issuing exemption certificates”. If you did produce such a voluntary list, please indicate when you did so, and provide the current list.

If you have produced a list of wheelchair accessible taxis and/or private hire vehicles under S167, or are going to, please tell me the following.

4) The date the list was instated or by which you intend to do so.

5) The accessibility requirements of a taxi for it to appear on the list.

6) How you intend to enforce drivers' compliance with S165.

7) The list.

Yours faithfully,

Doug Paulley

foi, Bridgend County Borough Council

Dear Sir/Madam

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST X01-6221

 

We acknowledge your request for information received on 20 April 2017. 

 

We are considering your request and you should receive a response within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days, unless the information is
exempt or we require additional time to consider whether disclosure is in
the public interest in accordance with section 2 of the Freedom of
Information Act.

 

We will try to supply information in electronic format by email, but if
this is not possible we will let you know. If you have any special
requirements e.g. language, audio, large print, etc. then please let us
know.

 

The Act defines a number of exemptions which may prevent release of the
information you have requested. Before we provide the information we will
consider whether it is proper to release it and if any of the exemption
categories do apply then the information will not be released. We will
tell you if this is the case, and you will have a right of appeal.

 

If the information you request contains reference to a third party then
they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or not to
release the information to you. We will tell you if this is the case.

 

You may have to pay a fee for this information. We will consider this and
let you know. If so you will have to pay the fee before we process and
release the information.

 

If you have any queries or concerns, then please contact me directly. You
can find out more about the Act from the Information Commissioner at:

 

Information Commissioner’s Office – Wales 2nd Floor Churchill House
Churchill Way Cardiff

CF10 2HH

Telephone: 02920 678400 Fax: 02920 678399

Email: [email address]

Website: https://ico.org.uk/

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Y Swyddfa Rhyddid Gwybodaeth | Freedom of Information Office

Gwasanaethau Gweithredol a Phartneriaethol  |  Operational and Partnership
Services

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-Y-Bont ar Ogwr | Bridgend County Borough
Council

Ffon / Phone: (01656) 643473

Ffacs / Fax: (01656) 657899

 

E-bost / E-Mail [Bridgend County Borough Council request email]

Gwefan / Website: www.bridgend.gov.uk

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg. Rhowch wybod i ni os mai Cymraeg
yw eich dewis iaith.

We welcome correspondence in Welsh. Please let us know if your language
choice is Welsh.

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foi, Bridgend County Borough Council

Dear Mr Pauley

I write further to your request made on 19 April 2017. Unfortunately we are not in a position to respond at this time but will endeavour to provide a response in the next 10 working days.

Please accept our apologies for the delay.

Yours sincerely

Y Swyddfa Rhyddid Gwybodaeth | Freedom of Information Office
Gwasanaethau Gweithredol a Phartneriaethol | Operational and Partnership Services
Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-Y-Bont ar Ogwr | Bridgend County Borough Council
Ffon / Phone: (01656) 643473
Ffacs / Fax: (01656) 657899

E-bost / E-Mail [Bridgend County Borough Council request email]
Gwefan / Website: www.bridgend.gov.uk

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg. Rhowch wybod i ni os mai Cymraeg yw eich dewis iaith.
We welcome correspondence in Welsh. Please let us know if your language choice is Welsh.

show quoted sections

foi, Bridgend County Borough Council

Dear Mr Paulley,

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST X01- 6221

 

We refer to your email dated 11 April 2017 which contained a request for
information as set out in italics below.  Following consideration of your
request, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I respond
to each point as follows:

 

1) Please advise if you have produced, or currently intend to produce, a
list of wheelchair accessible:

a) taxis

and

b) private hire vehicles

under the powers set out in S167 of the Equality Act 2010.

 

No list is published, but it is planned to publish one.

 

 

2) Please identify how many a) taxi and b) PHV drivers have applied for
medical / physical impairment exemption under S166 of the Equality Act
2010 since S166 was commenced. If you've created a list under S167, please
identify how many of the exemptions were in place before S167 and how many
have been put in since.

 

 

One application has been received since S166 commenced.

 

 

3) Please state whether you voluntarily compiled a list of accessible
taxis and private hire vehicles following the Department for Transport's
guidance of 15th September 2010, which stated, in relation to section 167,
“although the list of designated vehicles will have no actual effect in
law until the duties are commenced, we would urge licensing authorities to
start maintaining a list as soon as possible for the purpose of liaising
with the trade and issuing exemption certificates”. If you did produce
such a voluntary list, please indicate when you did so, and provide the
current list.

 

If you have produced a list of wheelchair accessible taxis and/or private
hire vehicles under S167, or are going to, please tell me the following.

 

4)  The date the list was instated or by which you intend to do so.

 

5) The accessibility requirements of a taxi for it to appear on the list.

 

6) How you intend to enforce drivers' compliance with S165.

 

7) The list.

 

No list is published.

 

Please accept our apologies for the delay in providing you with a
response.

 

I hope this response satisfies your request. If you are dissatisfied with
the handling of the request, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 you
have the right to request a review of the Council’s response to your
request for information.  If you wish to request a review, please write
to:

 

Mr P A Jolley

Corporate Director, Operational and

Partnership Services and Monitoring Officer

Bridgend County Borough Council

Civic Offices,

Angel Street

Bridgend, CF31 4WB

 

within 28 days of the date of this letter.  If you remain dissatisfied
with the outcome of that review, you may seek further recourse by lodging
an appeal with the Information Commissioner at:

 

Information Commissioner’s Office – Wales

2^nd Floor

Churchill House

Churchill Way

Cardiff

CF10 2HH

Tel:  02920 678400

Fax:  02920 678399

E:mail : [1][email address]

Website:  [2]www.ico.org.uk

 

Yours sincerely

--

Freedom of Information Office

Bridgend County Borough Council

Level 2, Civic Offices

Angel Street

Bridgend

CF31 4WB

Tel: 01656 643565

Email: [Bridgend County Borough Council request email]

 

 

 

 

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Dear Bridgend County Borough Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Bridgend County Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'Lists of Accessible Taxis under S167 Equality Act 2010'.

In response to Q1 you indicated you currently intend to produce a list of wheelchair accessible taxis and private hire vehicles under the powers set out in S167 of the Equality Act 2010.

Yet you haven't provided your responses to my requests 4, 5 and 6. I don't know why.

" If you have produced a list of wheelchair accessible taxis and/or private hire vehicles under S167, or are going to, please tell me the following.

"4) The date the list was instated or by which you intend to do so.
5) The accessibility requirements of a taxi for it to appear on the list.
6) How you intend to enforce drivers' compliance with S165."

I don't understand why you haven't provided the information given that you have told me you intend to have such a list.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/l...

Yours faithfully,

Doug Paulley

Dear Bridgend County Borough Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Bridgend County Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'Lists of Accessible Taxis under S167 Equality Act 2010'.

I requested an internal review of this request, some time ago. Please can you tell me what is happening with my request for an internal review? I want to complete my research. Thank you.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/l...

Yours faithfully,

Doug Paulley

foi, Bridgend County Borough Council

Dear Mr Paulley

I write with reference your email below. I would advise you that the Authority's Licensing section are currently arranging to provide us with responses to the outstanding questions in your request.

I have chased them again today for responses and confirm that I would hope to be in a position to respond to you shortly.

Please accept my apologies for this delay.

Yours sincerely

Y Swyddfa Rhyddid Gwybodaeth | Freedom of Information Office
Gwasanaethau Gweithredol a Phartneriaethol | Operational and Partnership Services
Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-Y-Bont ar Ogwr | Bridgend County Borough Council
Ffon / Phone: (01656) 643473
Ffacs / Fax: (01656) 657899

E-bost / E-Mail [Bridgend County Borough Council request email]
Gwefan / Website: www.bridgend.gov.uk

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg. Rhowch wybod i ni os mai Cymraeg yw eich dewis iaith.
We welcome correspondence in Welsh. Please let us know if your language choice is Welsh.

show quoted sections

foi, Bridgend County Borough Council

Dear Mr Paulley

 

Please accept our apologies for the delay in responding to you.  I am now
in a position to provide responses to questions 4, 5 and 6 which are set
out below.

 

4) The date the list was instated or by which you intend to do so.

 

The Licensing Department are currently reviewing the hackney carriage and
private hire vehicle conditions as part of a wider review of licensing
policy. Part of this review will include the definition of a wheelchair
accessible vehicle. Any amendments to such policy will require approval by
the Licensing Committee following a consultation with the trade and
relevant stakeholders. Following this change the intention is to maintain
a list of wheelchair accessible vehicles under Section 167 of the Equality
Act 2010. Details of the committee report and outcomes will be published
on our website.   There is no proposed date at the moment. 

 

5) The accessibility requirements of a taxi for it to appear on the list.

 

It is likely that the initial report presented to the Licensing Committee,
seeking member’s approval to consult, will define a wheelchair accessible
vehicle as being able to facilitate the carriage of disabled persons and
accommodate a disabled person in a ‘reference wheelchair’ as defined in
Schedule 1 of the Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2000.

 

6) How you intend to enforce drivers' compliance with S165.

 

Licensing Enforcement Officers carry out spot checks and investigate
complaints received regarding licensed vehicles and drivers. It is
intended that details of any amendments to the current enforcement policy
will be published alongside the published list.

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of the request, under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 you have the right to request a review of
the Council’s response to your request for information. If you wish to
request a review, please write to:

 

Mr P A Jolley

Corporate Director, Operational and

Partnership Services and Monitoring Officer

Bridgend County Borough Council

Civic Offices,

Angel Street

Bridgend, CF31 4WB

 

within 28 days of the date of this letter. If you remain dissatisfied with
the outcome of that review, you may seek further recourse by lodging an
appeal with the Information Commissioner at:

 

Information Commissioner’s Office – Wales

2^nd Floor

Churchill House

Churchill Way

Cardiff

CF10 2HH

Tel: 02920 678400

Fax: 02920 678399

E:mail : [1][email address]

Website: [2]www.ico.org.uk

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Y Swyddfa Rhyddid Gwybodaeth | Freedom of Information Office

Gwasanaethau Gweithredol a Phartneriaethol  |  Operational and Partnership
Services

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-Y-Bont ar Ogwr | Bridgend County Borough
Council

Ffon / Phone: (01656) 643473

Ffacs / Fax: (01656) 657899

 

E-bost / E-Mail [Bridgend County Borough Council request email]

Gwefan / Website: www.bridgend.gov.uk

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg. Rhowch wybod i ni os mai Cymraeg
yw eich dewis iaith.

We welcome correspondence in Welsh. Please let us know if your language
choice is Welsh.

show quoted sections