Mayor of London resists calls for MANDATORY private hire vehicle accessibility levy to curb declining wheelchair taxi options
- Perry Richardson
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 7 hours ago
London Assembly Member Hina Bokhari OBE has urged the Mayor of London to consider introducing a levy on all non-wheelchair accessible private hire vehicle (PHV) bookings, suggesting the funds be used to support schemes aimed at increasing transport accessibility.
Bokhari highlighted that fewer than 1% of PHVs in the capital are wheelchair accessible. She noted that the burden of inclusive transport continues to fall almost entirely on the licensed taxi trade, where all vehicles are required to be wheelchair accessible. She proposed a mandatory levy—similar to existing environmental charges—be explored by Transport for London (TfL), with the income supporting the Taxi Card scheme, the retention of the wheelchair accessible black cab fleet, and grants for PHV drivers to purchase accessible vehicles.
In response, Mayor Sadiq Khan acknowledged the taxi fleet’s full accessibility and praised its vital role in transporting wheelchair users and others with mobility needs. However, he stopped short of committing to a levy.
Khan reiterated that PHVs operate under a different model, where bookings are made in advance, allowing customers to request accessible vehicles. He said operators must either meet the request or advise the customer to make alternative arrangements.
The Mayor instead pointed to a broader review being carried out under TfL’s Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan. This includes an accessibility demand survey and is set to conclude by the end of 2026/27. The findings are expected to guide future action to address accessibility gaps across both the taxi and PHV sectors.
Hina Bokhari OBE said: “Given that less than 1% of PHVs in London is wheelchair accessible—and despite past claims by operators such as Uber to promote Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WCAV) options—the burden of social inclusivity continues to fall almost entirely on the licensed taxi trade.
“In light of the Public Sector Equality Duty, will you instruct TfL to explore a mandatory levy on all non-WCAV private hire bookings, modelled on existing environmental levies, with revenues ring fenced to support the Taxi card scheme, retention of the wheelchair accessible taxi fleet, and a grant programme to support PHV drivers in purchasing WCAVs?”
Sadiq Khan responded: “I am very proud that London’s entire taxi fleet is wheelchair accessible and offers transport to wheelchair users or anyone who cannot access public transport. I value the role taxis can play in enabling wheelchair users and passengers with other accessibility requirements to travel.
“As private hire vehicles (PHV) have to be booked in advance, a customer is able to request an accessible vehicle from a PHV operator and the PHV operator can, in turn, seek to provide an appropriate vehicle or explain if this won’t be possible, enabling the passenger to make other arrangements.
“One of the actions in the recently published Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan is for Transport for London to complete a taxi and private hire accessibility review (including an accessibility demand survey) by the end of 2026/27. This will identify any unmet demand for accessible journeys and inform actions to ensure future taxi and private hire vehicle fleets, drivers and supporting services (for example booking systems) are equipped to meet these needs.”
