Hackney carriage and private hire policy - Appendix F - Equality Act 2010 Guidance

Equality Act 2010 Guidance

To help provide the best possible service to disabled passenger’s drivers and operators and encouraged to follow these steps:

Ask the disabled person if they need any help, but wait for the offer of help to be accepted before doing anything. Listen to any requests and try to remember that everyone is different and what suits one passenger may not be appropriate for another.

  • Talk directly to the disabled person rather than to the person with them
  • Let visually impaired passengers know if there are delays in the journey and also let them know when they are near their destination
  • Count out the change for visually impaired passengers 
  • Have a pen and paper handy to write things down for passengers with hearing impairments 
  • Make sure that the wheelchair ramps in the vehicle are available and in good working order at all times.
  • Do not load or unload passengers who are wheelchair users where there is an incline or the pavement is sloped
  • Do not make assumptions about a disability or assume that it is insignificant because it is not visible

Drivers need to make sure that they:

  • Know how the wheelchair ramps work and how to safely load a wheelchair and secure it in the correct position (facing to the rear) using the wheelchair restraints and passenger belts
  • Make themselves aware of the other features in the vehicle that help disabled people, for example swivel seats, auxiliary steps or hearing loops, and let the passengers know about them
  • Do not deliberately drive past a disabled person hailing the taxi
  • Do not start the meter until a wheelchair passenger is safely in the taxi

 

 


Last Updated on Wednesday, May 8, 2024