Posted on the 23rd September 2025 in PHTM News
NORTH EAST LINCS COUNCILLORS PROPOSE CHANGES TO TACKLE DECLINE IN WAV TAXIS
A council committee in North East Lincolnshire has recommended changes to address the "fast-dropping numbers" of wheelchair-accessible taxis, which have fallen from a peak of 47% to just 16% of the fleet.
The committee’s recommendations, which will now be put to a consultation with the taxi trade, include maintaining a cap of 220 total hackney carriages and amending the policy to require that all new taxis and existing accessible vehicles be wheelchair-friendly.
"There is a major concern and need to resolve the fast-dropping numbers of WAV vehicles," a report from officers stated. The report noted that while the demand for these vehicles may be low, "their significance to those that use them is very high."
The committee is aiming to reverse a decline that officers largely attribute to a 2013 policy that allowed WAVs to be replaced with standard saloon cars if the driver applied for it on medical exemption grounds. That exemption was removed last November.
On another topic, councillors rejected a proposal to limit new taxis to electric or hybrid vehicles due to "high-cost concerns for drivers, and associated infrastructure not being readily available."
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