Charity opposes call to ease taxi wheelchair requirement

There should be no removal of a mandate for new taxi drivers to have wheelchair accessible vehicles, a disability charity has warned.

The State’s consumer watchdog said the requirement is acting as a barrier for new entrants to the taxi market and affecting overall supply.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) said removing regulatory barriers, such as requiring new entrants to have wheelchair-accessible vehicles, would respond to consumer needs and align with other countries.

The rule applies to new taxi drivers but not existing licensees getting a new vehicle.

The CCPC’s chairman had argued the requirement was a “blunt instrument” that was deterring new entrants to the market who might otherwise use their own cars, which may not be wheelchair accessible.

It said this led to decreased supply for all taxi passengers, including people who use wheelchairs.

It further questioned why the requirement was only applied to new entrants and not existing drivers.

However, the Irish Wheelchair Association said the requirement ensures availability of taxis for people who use wheelchairs.

In a statement, the Irish Wheelchair Association’s public engagement manager John Fulham said: “Our primary concern is to ensure that there is availability within the taxi industry of wheelchair accessible taxis for people with disabilities.

“The introduction of the mandatory wheelchair-accessible vehicle requirement and support grants by the NTA was welcome as it has ensured there is a growing percentage of WAV within the Irish Market.

“Our stance on this remains consistent, we are against calls for removal of this regulation.”

It argued that removing the requirement would further limit transport options for people with disabilities and will see them increasingly marginalised and excluded from their communities.

“Issues in relation to availability of taxis in the Irish market is far more nuanced.

“Challenges include the driver entry process, local area knowledge tests alongside drivers being unwilling to operate in the evenings and later hours due to safety concerns and anti-social behaviour.

“Removal of regulation will not resolve these issues.”

The CCPC had emphasised it was not in favour of “abandoning oversight or regulation”, and that it strongly supports safeguards in the sector.

CCPC chairman Brian McHugh said: “It is essential that people who use wheelchairs have access to suitable transport and we believe this must remain a regulatory priority.

“At present, however, new drivers are required to buy far more expensive wheelchair-accessible vehicles while existing drivers can choose to replace their vehicles with cheaper standard models.

“This is a big barrier for new drivers and plays a key role in the lack of ride-hailing services in Ireland, reducing availability for everyone, including wheelchair users.”

The National Transport Authority is to review taxi systems later this year.