Bid to introduce single taxi zone for North Yorkshire put on hold

A bid to merge seven taxi zones in North Yorkshire into one has been postponed after taxi drivers and disabled people claimed the move would be a retrograde step.

Opponents of North Yorkshire County Council’s proposed taxi policy told a meeting of the authority’s executive it would lead to taxis clogging up town centres and sparse cover in rural areas, particularly for wheelchair users.

Yesterday’s meeting heard that a working group of elected members with significant experience of licensing had made a series of recommendations which the council’s officers had “tossed aside like a pair of old slippers” and come up with a series of different proposals.

A consultation over the taxi policy showed most people were against it and, opponents claimed, the council’s leadership appeared to be reneging on a pledge to abide by its results.

Nick Moxon, chairman of North Yorkshire Disability Forum, said:

“The suggestion that one zone rather than seven will enable wheelchair users to find taxis on ranks in future lacks any credible evidence.”

The meeting heard concerns that a dearth of wheelchair-accessible taxis in many areas of the county meant that if taxis drivers were permitted to sit on ranks miles away, wheelchair users could be left with no means of transport.

Councillors were told there were no or scant wheelchair-accessible taxi services from numerous North Yorkshire stations and buses were not an acceptable alternative as wheelchair users could not safely use many rural bus stops.

The meeting heard it was council policy to improve transport access for disabled people but there was nothing in the new taxi policy that would increase the number of wheelchair-accessible taxis.

Harrogate cabbie speaks out

One Harrogate-based taxi driver told the meeting his colleagues had said if the policy was introduced they would immediately give up their wheelchair-accessible vehicles as they would not be viable.

He said:

“The vast majority, if not all, of the hackney carriage trade is totally against the proposals to create a one zone authority for the purpose of taxi trading as this will lead to certain livelier areas becoming swamped at peak times, leaving quieter rural areas with no supply at all, leaving residents in those areas vulnerable to getting home safely.”

Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director of business and environmental services, said the authority was aware of the need for more wheelchair-accessible taxis and that officers intended to review its policies in 18 months.

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The meeting heard the proposed policy incorporates the Department for Transport’s taxi and private hire vehicle best practice guidance and statutory standards, to ensure that the public continued to be provided with safe and accessible vehicles.

Councillors heard it would also provide a coherent regulatory framework for the trade across the county and that hackney carriage and private hire licence holders and taxi operators across the county would be treated equally.

The authority’s executive member for open to business, Councillor Derek Bastiman, said the working group’s findings had not been tossed aside.

However, the executive agreed to postpone considering the proposed policy until later this month in order to examine the working group’s recommendation to allow vehicles of up to 15 years in age to be licensed to help during the cost of living crisis.

Outdoor dining forcing Harrogate wheelchair users on to roads

A disability charity in Harrogate has said the sudden increase in outdoor dining has caused safety concerns for wheelchair users and visually impaired people.

Hospitality businesses have taken advantage of new pavement licences this week.

Many have been busy but the extra tables and chairs on pavements has prompted Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, to urge venues to consider people with disabilities.

She said:

“We have heard some concerns already, not only from wheelchair users but also from people with other mobility issues and people with visual impairments.

“It can be difficult if there are tables and chairs on streets where they don’t expect them.”

Ms Snape said tables and chairs on narrow pavements with no segregated pedestrian area were the main problems. She said it encouraged people to spread out on their chairs and take up the whole pavement, adding:

“It forces passers-by to go on the road, which isn’t easy if you are a wheelchair user, especially if there isn’t a dropped kerb.”

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The new outdoor cafe culture has caused other problems, with one wheelchair user telling the charity they had been unable to get a coffee because an outdoors area wasn’t able to accommodate their wheelchair.

Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire

Ms Snape said badly managed queues were also a concern because they forced wheelchair users into roads.

She said:

“It’s great to see everywhere so busy and nobody wants to see restrictions. I suspect most businesses just haven’t thought about these issues. Be kind. Be respectful. These problems could be easily solved.

“But if it becomes a massive issue something will have to be done and some controls put in place.”