542.This section permits a licensing authority to maintain a list of wheelchair-accessible taxis and private hire vehicles operating in its area. If it so wishes, a licensing authority may decide to list just those vehicles that also hold a special licence to operate a local bus service, and not list wheelchair-accessible vehicles that hold only a conventional licence.
543.The duties contained in section 165 will apply to drivers of the vehicles that appear on the list of designated wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
544.The section permits the Secretary of State to issue guidance to licensing authorities and the licensing authority must have regard to any guidance issued.
545.This section has its basis in section 36A of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, which allowed licensing authorities to maintain lists of wheelchair-accessible vehicles with special licences to operate a local bus service. However, provisions in this section now extend further to allow licensing authorities to also include wheelchair-accessible vehicles that hold only conventional licences.
A licensing authority maintains a list of the wheelchair-accessible taxis and private hire vehicles operating in its area. The drivers of the vehicles on that list are required to perform the duties to assist passengers in wheelchairs contained in section 165.
The driver of a vehicle that is included on the list will provide assistance to passengers in wheelchairs and will not charge them an additional fare.