Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council has said it may make further investigations into the accessibility of the taxis it licences, following a complaint.

Ben Gillum, a Welwyn Garden City resident, lodged a complaint with the council about the taxi services "not being made accessible for all types of disabilities". 

69-year-old Ben has cerebral palsy, which means he struggles to use all taxis due to them being too high for him to get into.

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Ben said: “WHBC have introduced a policy whereby every Hackney carriage taxi on the rank must be wheelchair friendly. 

“I recently tried to use such a vehicle and found that it was unsatisfactory in that there were steps, and no ramp was available. 

"I couldn't manage the steps and so my planned journey couldn't be completed, much to my disappointment." 

After speaking with the deputy leader of Hackney carriages in Welwyn Garden City, Ben was told he would have to use a private car taxi. 

Ben added: "What I would like to see is a policy to cater not only for wheelchair users, but also for people like me who's legs are stiff and who can't use the system as it currently stands.  

“This policy needs to be reviewed; indeed, Age UK have said as much. 

“As a disabled person, I find this policy somewhat counter intuitive in that it is aimed at helping disabled people but appears to be excluding a large section of them.” 

A Welwyn Hatfield Borough council spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear of this resident’s difficulty recently with a Welwyn Hatfield licenced taxi. 

                                                                                                         

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“The Wheelchair Accessible Policy (WAV) was introduced by the council in March 2020 (in line with the Equality Act 2010). As such, our licenced Hackney Carriage vehicles must become wheelchair accessible at the end of their working life. There are eight of these already in operation in the borough. 

“The wheelchair accessible Hackney Carriages are fitted with ramps that should always be available for all disabled customers, not just wheelchair users. 

"These lower, to allow level access into the vehicle. This was something we discussed previously with the customer, but we would be happy to investigate further if it is felt necessary.”