Questions to the Mayor of London – answered at on 13 September 2019.
What percentage of (i) private hire drivers (ii) taxi drivers have been tested for disability awareness?
All wheelchair accessible private hire vehicle owners and all new taxi drivers are informed of their responsibilities under the Equality Act on the grant of their licence. Transport for London (TfL) also provides specific guidance to existing licensees on its website (www.tfl.gov.uk/tph-access). Further guidance on supporting passengers who are wheelchair users or who have an assistance dog is given to newly licensed taxi drivers.
TfL is currently considering a range of measures affecting both new and existing private hire drivers in order to improve passenger safety. This would include both safeguarding and disability equality, as part of an enhanced driver assessment package. However, it is important that TfL considers the not-yet-published results of the Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) consultation on statutory guidance for taxi and private hire licensing authorities, as well as the DfT’s response to the Task and Finish Group’s report, before finalising its own proposals to ensure consistency.