Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Welsh.

To receive declarations of interest from Members on items included in this agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

Consideration was given to a report regarding the expansion of the Hackney Carriage Fleet.

Prior to the limit being removed, there were fifty-one Hackney Carriage vehicles, thirteen of which had disabled access.  There were now seventy Hackney Carriages which had increased the number of wheelchair accessible by four, to seventeen vehicles.

The Committee thanked the officers who had proposed the report.

A supplementary agenda had been handed round to Members at the meeting which laid out recommendations proposed by the Chair.

Members raised concerns that the issue regarding wheelchair access vehicles had been made slightly worse.  The Hackney Carriage Association were reported to look at this again and bring back to this Committee.  In addition, no reference had been made in the recommendations for people applying for vehicles with non-wheelchair access.  The question was also asked if Officers could find out how often wheelchair accessible vehicles were used.

Three recommendations were proposed as set out in the supplementary report although it was requested that recommendation (a) be amended to people with all disabilities – not only wheelchair users.

Resolved:-   (a)       That the Council undertake so far as practicable a full and comprehensive consultation with stakeholders (and in particular, those bodies that represent disabled persons) within the Borough who have an interest in transport provision for disabled persons within Hackney Carriages.

                        (b)       That in the meantime the Council maintain its present policy regarding wheelchair accessibility and to review all policies at a later date.

                        (c)        That regardless of the outcome of the consultation and any subsequent decision, the Council’s policy be reviewed every 12 months.