MP Welcomes Better Disabled Access

Neil Gerrard, Labour MP for Walthamstow, was one of the speakers at a reception in the House of Commons last week for the launch of a Good Practice Guide on making minicabs more accessible to disabled people. The Guide has been produced by the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee. The timing of the publication of the Guide has been chosen to link with the coming into force on 31st March of the Private Members Bill which Neil Gerrard took through Parliament in 2002, to require minicabs to carry guide dogs with their owners.

"It seems a long time since I got the Bill through Parliament" said Mr Gerrard, "but the Department of Transport has had to bring in all the detailed regulations to make the Act work. There were also delays caused by the introduction for the first time of a licensing system for minicabs in London. What this Guide does is to offer minicab operators and rivers practical advice and information on how to offer the best service to disabled customers."

"The Guide covers the question of guide dogs, but also offers advice on how to best provide services for people with a range of disabilities, including hearing loss, speech impairments, and the carriage of wheelchairs. This is so important, because research shows that disabled people use minicabs more frequently than the population as a whole. This actually means that it is good business for the operators and drivers. Many minicab operators and their drivers have offered a good service to disabled people. This Guide and the changes in the law, will help to change the behaviour of the minority who have not been so helpful in the past."

March 2004

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