Wheelchair Accessible Taxis have reduced by 50% since 2017

In 2017 there were 3,799 Taxis in the Bristol Region (Bristol, BANES, South Glos and North Somerset). Of these Taxis 830 (22%) were Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAV).

In 2024 the number of Taxis had increased to 5,325 but the number of Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles had dropped to 427 which is just 8% of Taxis in the region.

Total Number of WAV's

Percentage of WAV's

Please note that Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles include both Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles. In the tables below "Taxis" are Hackney Carriages and "PHV"s are Private Hire Vehicles.

Breakdown of 2024 Totals by Area

• Most WAV's (336) are licenced by Bristol (31% of 1,094 vehicles).
• But there are only 43 WAV's licenced in South Glos (1% of 3,352 vehicles).
• South Glos has almost 3 times the number of licensed vehicles than Bristol (3,352 vs 1,094)

Changes in South Glos

From July 2025, all hackney carriages in South Gloucestershire will be required to accommodate wheelchair users. The policy, approved by South Gloucestershire Council’s regulatory committee, marks a significant shift in local transport but has sparked concerns over its impact on the trade. Hackney carriages—taxis that can be hailed on the street or at designated ranks—will need to meet accessibility standards under the new rules. This contrasts with private hire vehicles, such as those operated by Uber, which must be pre-booked and are not subject to the same requirement. From TaxiPoint

But these changes are opposed by many Hackney Carriage drivers in South Glos as can be seen by comments made in the South Glos Taxi Liaison Group meeting in April 2025. There was mention of a 10,000 signature petition against WAV's that had been "lost".

What does this mean for Disabled People?

Lack of WAVs

In the Taxi related article I published yesterday (06/07/2025) there were a number of comments from people about the difficulty in getting a WAV.

East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood

Much has been written about the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood scheme and the impact on disabled people. The Bus Gates that have been installed can be used by Taxis, but if the number of Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles is dropping so rapidly, what use will that be to people who need WAV's?

Taxi services are vital for many disabled people, but if Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles keep disappearing at the same rate as they have over recent years, then even more people will lose their freedom to travel.