TA XI MISERY

A LIVERPOOL city council spokesperson said: “All our hackney carriage fleet of 1,426 vehicles are wheelchair accessible and we currently have around 15 private hire vehicles that are also wheelchair accessible “We have been working with the Royal National Institute of Blind People and are just about to launch braille

ALACK of wheelchair accessible taxis is causing misery to millions of disabled people.

The stark impact that a lack of cabs has on disabled people’s daily lives – particularly those in rural locations – is revealed in new research

A survey by charity Leonard Cheshire found two-thirds of disabled people – an estimated 8 million – could not always access taxis or private hire vehicles (PHVs)

And one in 10 said they were never able to get any kind of accessible taxi

With taxis often the preferred choice for many disabled people, not being able to get one can make the difference between socialising with friends, being able to make a healthcare appointment or attending a job interview

Joshua Reeves, campaigns support officer at Leonard Cheshire, said: “As a wheelchair user I have experienced my own challenges, but chairing the steering group for this research has opened my eyes to the barriers disabled people with different impairments face

“We need more disability confident taxi companies so disabled people can have a