Croydon Mayor opens School Streets to black cabs after accessibility concerns force rethink
- Perry Richardson
- 17 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Licensed London black cabs will now be able to access School Streets across the London Borough of Croydon after Mayor Jason Perry announced a change following concerns raised by local taxi drivers.
Perry said: “Local black cab drivers told me that being unable to access Croydon’s School Streets was causing problems. I listened, and we’ve acted. Licensed black cabs can now access them across the borough.”
The Mayor added that the borough’s new Motorists’ Forum would help ensure drivers’ voices remain central to future transport decision-making.
The move is likely to be welcomed by both the licensed taxi trade and passengers who depend on London’s black cab network. Unlike private cars, licensed taxis form part of London’s wider public transport system, providing an on-demand service that complements buses, trains and the Underground. Their ability to offer direct, door-to-door transport is particularly important for passengers who cannot easily use other modes of public transport.
The decision also carries significant accessibility benefits. London’s entire licensed black cab fleet is wheelchair accessible, meaning every vehicle can accommodate wheelchair users without the need to pre-book or search for a specialist vehicle. For many disabled passengers, elderly residents and those with limited mobility, a black cab is often the only practical means of travelling independently from door to door.
Restrictions preventing taxis from entering School Streets had, in some cases, resulted in longer diversionary routes to reach homes, schools and other destinations located within or beyond the restricted areas. As black cabs operate on a regulated meter, those additional miles translated into higher fares for passengers who often had little alternative but to use an accessible taxi service.
Many within the taxi trade have argued that these increased costs unfairly penalised passengers who rely on accessible transport, with some suggesting the restrictions disproportionately affected disabled travellers by making essential journeys longer and more expensive.
Campaigners have previously questioned whether requiring wheelchair users and other mobility-impaired passengers to pay more simply because taxis could not use the most direct route was an equitable outcome.
By restoring access for licensed black cabs, Croydon has recognised the unique public transport role taxis perform while helping to ensure passengers who rely on accessible, door-to-door travel are not unnecessarily disadvantaged. The change should reduce journey times, avoid unnecessary fare increases and improve access to schools and surrounding communities for those who depend on the capital’s fully wheelchair accessible taxi fleet.
