What plans it has to improve access to taxi cab services for people with disabilities and whether it will consider grant aid schemes to inc…

The taxi accessibility provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 will, when implemented, greatly improve the accessibility of taxis for people with disabilities. Responsibility for implementing these provisions is reserved to the Westminster Parliament. In the meantime, we have written to local authorities, offering informal advice as to the steps they can take to improve the accessibility of taxis in their area within the framework of the existing legislation. There are no general grants available to increase the number of taxis accessible to people with disabilities. However, if a case is put to us by the taxi trade for the introduction of such grants we will consider its merits.