Taxi and private hire drivers and operators have legal duties under the licensing law and the Equality Act 2010 to help passengers. This means offering reasonable help to someone getting in and out of a vehicle, making sure they are safe and a wheelchair is secured correctly.
Licensed drivers or operators
Guidance on your legal duties can be found on our guide to helping disabled passengers page.
Customers
Information about accessing taxis and private hire vehicles, and your rights can be found on The Travel Access Complaints Service for Disabled People (DTACS) website.
Wheelchair accessible vehicles
All Hackney Carriage vehicles in Plymouth are 100% wheelchair accessible (individual drivers may have a valid medical exemption).
The full list of Hackney Carriage vehicles can be found on our licensing register. This register is also the designated list for the purposes of section 167 of the Equality Act 2010.
There are a small number of private hire vehicles that are also wheelchair accessible.
Make and model: Peugeot Boxer
Registration: SD17 NVU
Licence number: 0170
Operator: Cab
Tail lift or ramps: Tail lift
Make and model: Ford Transit
Registration: AY60 YBM
Licence number: 0206
Operator: Disability Transport
Tail lift or ramps: Tail lift
Make and model: Peugeot Boxer
Registration: YJ11 GWY
Licence number: 0209
Operator: Ray's Coaches
Tail lift or ramps: Ramps
Make and model: Peugeot Boxer 335 LWB
Registration: YJ11 GWZ
Licence number: 0329
Operator: Ray's Coaches
Tail lift or ramps: Tail lift
Make and model: Ford Transit
Registration: AK11 YXV
Licence number: 0467
Operator: Taxi Services Ltd
Tail lift or ramps: Tail lift
Make and model: Ford Transit
Registration: WA13 SZX
Licence number: 1013
Operator: Disability Transport
Tail lift or ramps: Tail lift
Make and model: Citroen Relay
Registration: WA58 KUP
Licence number: 1109
Operator: Ray's Coaches
Tail lift or ramps: Ramps
Make and model: Peugeot Boxer
Registration: YJ61 FSP
Licence number: 0437
Operator: Disability Transport
Tail lift or ramps: Tail lift
Make and model: Peugeot Boxer
Registration: WA62 FBG
Licence number: 0102
Operator: Ray's Coaches
Tail lift or ramps: Tail lift
Make and model: Renault Master
Registration: LJ64 FPC
Licence number: 0358
Operator: Ray's Coaches
Tail lift or ramps: Tail lift
Make and model: Peugeot Horizon S AC
Registration: SF13 MYC
Licence number: 0478
Operator: Student Cab
Tail lift or ramps: Ramps
Exemptions
A driver will be issued an exemption certificate by the council if they have a medical reason for being exempt from giving mobility help to a passenger.
The certificate must be displayed in the vehicle windscreen and shown to anyone if requested.
If a driver is exempt from providing mobility help, they are not exempt from any of the other duties included in sections 164A, 165, and 165A of the Equality Act 2010. More information can be found on our guide to helping disabled passengers page.
Certificates are issued to an individual and cannot be transferred to someone else.
Drivers that share a vehicle must remove the certificate when they're not using the vehicle.
Wheelchair instructional videos
We encourage all licensed drivers to watch the following videos:
They are to help wheelchair users in and out of the vehicle and securing the wheelchair safely in the vehicle. There are many different makes and models of licensed vehicles, however the basic principles of what is required when carrying a person in a wheelchair remain the same.
Each driver must:
- follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for their specific vehicle and read these instructions before starting work
- know how the ramp mechanism works and its weight limits
- know how the vehicles' securing straps work
- make sure all straps are in good condition
How to report a vehicle refusal
If you have been the victim of an access refusal or of any other type of discrimination when using a taxi or private hire vehicle licensed by Plymouth City Council, please let us know on our taxi complaints and compliments page.