Guide Taxi Policy and Guidance

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5. Helping passengers with disabilities

The new requirements of the Equality Act 2010 came into force on 6 April 2017. 

Sections 165 to 167 of the Equality Act 2010 make it a criminal offence for drivers of designated taxi and specified private hire vehicles to:

  • refuse to carry passengers in standard manual wheelchairs
  • fail to provide passengers in a wheelchair with appropriate assistance
  • charge those passengers extra

The requirements of section 165 do not apply to drivers who have a valid medical exemption certificate and are displaying a valid exemption notices.  If you are exempt then you will have been issued with two exemption notices.  These must be displayed as follows:

  • One in the near side window for approaching passengers and wheelchair users to see
  • One in the rear window of your vehicle so any driver behind you on the rank will be aware of your exemption

The exemption notice is not transferable and if the vehicle is shared by another user you must make sure the notice is removed before somebody else uses the vehicle.

Wheelchair accessible vehicles licensed by East Devon

We maintain a full list of licensed hackney carriage and private hire vehicles in East Devon which are wheelchair accessible.

This register is also the designated list for the purposes of section 165 of the Equality Act 2010.