Fife accessible taxi pilot scheme welcome - Rennie & Chamberlain

Following an investigation into the low number of wheelchair accessible vehicles licensed as taxis and private hire vehicles in East Fife, Fife Council’s Regulation and Licensing Committee agreed at a meeting earlier this month to launch a six-month pilot scheme which aims to improve the provision of wheelchair-accessible taxis.

Fife Council currently has 91 accessible taxis, but there is a particular shortage in East Fife where the council’s website lists only 15 vehicles. In contrast Dundee City Council has over 300 accessible taxis, approximately 40% of its fleet. The council also has a target that 60% of the city’s vehicles will be accessible.

Wheelchair users face additional challenges in booking transport as some firms do not operate at the weekend, and many vehicles are hired for school contracts or social work services. It has also been suggested that a lack of drivers is contributing to the problem.

The pilot scheme will allow new and existing taxi operators to use wheelchair-accessible vehicles for up to seven years from the date of first registration. This is longer than the current period allowed for all taxis of up to five years. Some taxi firms have said that the higher cost of accessible vehicles means that they need to be used for longer in order to be economic.

The scheme will also involve taxi operators agreeing to make their vehicles available to wheelchair users throughout East Fife on a daily basis including evenings and weekends. Those taking part in the scheme will record data on the use of their taxis by wheelchair-users during the pilot.

Mr Rennie and Ms Chamberlain have previously raised the case of one of their constituents, Paul Bartlett, with Fife Council. He requires wheelchair-accessible transport and contacted them to describe the severe problems he was facing. The two parliamentarians called on the Council to take action to increase provision.

Paul Bartlett said: “My daily life has been severely impacted by the extremely poor provision of wheelchair taxis in Fife and in particular, the St Andrews area. The lack of accessible taxis is limiting the activities that I can take part in.

“It has already taken a long time to get Fife Council to accept the need for change. I hope that this scheme makes a difference but there’s no time for further delay and the Council has to show results.

“The simple problem is that there aren’t enough accessible vehicles and many of the taxis which are listed on Fife Council’s website also don’t operate at the weekend and in the evenings. It’s good to see the pilot includes agreement with taxi companies to ensure they operate accessible vehicles at the weekend and in the evenings.”

Wendy Chamberlain added: “This is a welcome step. There is no doubt wheelchair-users like in North East Fife like Paul face a difficult situation in getting transport. Everyone should be able to get around and go about their daily lives without inconvenience.

“I will be following Fife Council’s pilot scheme to see what impact it has.”

Willie Rennie added: “I am glad that Fife Council have agreed to introduce practical measures to try to increase the number of accessible taxis operating in North East Fife. There’s a stark difference between the provision of accessible taxis in neighbouring Dundee and Fife.

“I hope that the pilot scheme makes a difference, but the Council shouldn’t hesitate to look at other options such as the policy adopted in Dundee if necessary.”