Taxis and wheelchair-accessible private hire vehicles are a vital resource for mobility impaired people in London. Section 165 of the Equality Act 2010 obliges drivers of wheelchair-accessible taxis and private hire vehicles to carry wheelchair users and provide mobility assistance without additional charge.
Drivers of taxis and designated wheelchair-accessible private hire vehicles have a legal duty to:
Non-compliant drivers are liable to prosecution and fines of up to £1,000. The driver's continued fitness to hold a licence may also be reviewed.
The only grounds for exemption are medical, or that a physical condition makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for a driver to comply with these duties. Applications for exemptions must be made to us. Drivers must carry their exemption certificate with them in order for the exemption to be valid.
Find out more from the Department for Transport (DfT) guidance.
A taxi or private hire vehicle is "designated" as wheelchair-accessible for the purposes of section 165 of the Equality Act 2010 if it appears on a list maintained under section 167. All licensed London taxis are designated by default. We maintain a list of designated taxis, which is available on request, and private hire vehicles, which is available here.
Private hire vehicles are designated as WAVs at the point of the vehicle licensing inspection and this is noted on the vehicle licence.
Vehicles that have been manufactured and type-approved as WAV, or vehicles that have been permanently adapted or modified to carry passengers remaining in their wheelchair, will be considered for exemptions.
If you believe your private hire vehicle is WAV, but this is not noted on your vehicle licence, please contact our vehicle inspections team on 0343 222 5555 to arrange for your vehicle to be inspected.
If you disagree with the decision that your vehicle is wheelchair-accessible, you may appeal the decision, but you must do so within 28 days of your vehicle first being designated by us as being wheelchair-accessible. To appeal, write to Westminster Magistrates' court, stating that you wish to appeal against the decision and apply for a summons against us. The address of the court is 181 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5BR and the telephone number is 020 3126 3056.
Private hire operators who have wheelchair accessible vehicles can be searched for using the online form.
Taxis: The DfT's guidance states that the requirement not to charge a wheelchair user extra means that, in practice, a meter should not be left running while the driver performs duties required by the Act, or the passenger enters, leaves or secures their wheelchair within the passenger compartment.
Private Hire: Operators have responsibilities under the general provisions of the Act not to discriminate when providing a service - that includes not charging passengers more because they are disabled.
Taxi and private hire drivers have an important role to play in helping people with assistance dogs to travel around London. Read the Equality Act 2010 for more detailed information about your obligations.
Watch our short video on what taxi and private hire drivers must do when a passenger has an assistance dog:
Did you know:
The only grounds on which drivers can be exempted from these duties are medical. Applications for exemptions must be made to us. Drivers must display the exemption notice and carry their exemption certificate with them in order for the exemption to be valid
Between February 2015 and November 2017, we have successfully prosecuted 27 minicab drivers for refusing to carry passengers accompanied by assistance dogs, resulting in fines totalling £9,705, costs awarded to TfL to the value of £13,471 and £1,855 paid in compensation to the victims.
Find out more from our guidance for passengers about their rights regarding assistance dogs.
We also produce a leaflet which contains more information about seven types of assistance dogs and your responsibilities to passengers who need to travel with them. This leaflet was produced for the private hire trade but it is relevant to both taxi and private hire trades.
If your passenger has left an item in your vehicle, then taxi drivers should take the item to the TfL Lost Property Office (LPO), a Metropolitan Police Station, or a City of London Police station.
From 28 October 2019, the LPO will be located at Pelham Street, South Kensington. It will be open from 08:30 - 16:00 Monday to Friday.
There is off-street parking at the LPO which is available whilst taxi drivers are dropping-off or collecting lost property. Taxi drivers must ensure that they press the button by the roller shutter and inform the on-site security team of their ID and their reason for visiting