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03
Jun 2021
Mixed reaction to proposed Harrogate wheelchair taxi licence changes
Plans to tackle a decline in disabled-friendly travel in the Harrogate district by introducing an unlimited number of taxi licences have been met with a mixed reaction from local cabbies and campaigners.
Harrogate Borough Council’s licensing committee will next Wednesday be asked to remove a limit on licences and make all new plates available only to wheelchair accessible vehicles after complaints that disabled people have been “cut off from society” because of a lack of travel options.
The move has been welcomed by campaigners who hope it will put an end to “the inequality that the current system imposes".
But cabbies have warned unlimited licences would lead to “deregulation” in the taxi trade.
Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, said the charity has long campaigned for a solution to the problem which has caused “social isolation and frustration” for disabled people.
She said:
Read more:
- Council to issue more wheelchair taxi licences to tackle shortfall
- Harrogate taxi firm refusing to pay £25,000 for unfair dismissal
But Richard Fieldman, who runs A1 Cars of Ripon and Harrogate, said going through with the proposal would be a “big mistake” as more licences would mean the supply of taxis would outstrip demand.
He said:
No increase in licenses for 30 years
Harrogate Borough Council has restricted the number of taxi licences to 148 for about 30 years, which in effect has meant the only way to acquire a licence is to buy an existing vehicle from someone.
In September last year, the licensing committee agreed to double the number of licences designated for wheelchair-accessible taxis from 11 to 23 after a study concluded disabled people were suffering from a “great deal of anxiety” over worries they could not get around.
However, the council has since run into difficulties over creating a “fair and lawful” system to distribute just 12 additional licences.
Dean Richardson, head of safer communities at the council, said in a report to Wednesday’s meeting:
The recommendation to committee members next Wednesday is to remove the limit on licences with all future licences to be designated as wheelchair accessible vehicles plates.
If approved, the changes would be reviewed within five years.
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