FEWER than one in 10 taxis operating in parts of Somerset are wheelchair-accessible, according to a new report.

There are a total of 538 taxis and private hire vehicles which are licensed to operate within the Somerset Council area, according to recent figures issued by the local authority.

Of these, 132 taxis and private hire vehicles are wheelchair accessible – just under one in four when taken as an average across the county.

However, the numbers range considerably across Somerset – dropping to as low as one in ten in certain places.

Under Section 165 of the Equality Act 2010, drivers of designated wheelchair-accessible taxis and private hire vehicles must “provide physical assistance to passengers in wheelchairs” and cannot charge extra for transporting them compared to more-bodied passengers.

These duties include transporting both a passenger and their wheelchair, ensuring the passenger is “carried in safety and reasonable comfort”, and providing them with mobility assistance “as is reasonably required” – for instance, helping them with their luggage.

While Section 163 of the same act rules that taxis must conform with accessibility regulations in order to be licensed, a standard ruling of what constitutes ‘accessible’ has not yet been brought in – with local councils being able to show discretion in their capacity as licensing authorities.

The percentage of people classed as disabled under the Equality Act is broadly similar across Somerset, ranging between 16.8 per cent and 18.1 per cent depending on the former district.

The former Mendip area (which includes Frome, Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, Street and Wells) has the largest number of licensed taxis, at 151 – but of these, only nine are wheelchair accessible, equating to just six per cent of the total vehicles.

The former Taunton Deane area (which includes Taunton, Wellington and Wiveliscombe) has the next most taxis at 148, of which 60 can support wheelchair users – around 41 per cent.

Of the 119 taxis licensed for the former South Somerset area (which includes Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster, Wincanton and Yeovil), only 20 per cent are wheelchair accessible – the equivalent of 19 vehicles.

The former Sedgemoor area (which includes Bridgwater, Burnham-on-Sea, Cheddar and Highbridge) fares little better, with 31 of its 89 licensed taxis being accessible – around 35 per cent.

The former West Somerset area (which includes Minehead, Watchet and Williton) has the lowest number of registered taxis at 31, of which eight are suitable for wheelchairs – the equivalent of 26 per cent.

The issue was debated at length when the council’s community scrutiny committee met in Taunton on September 11.

Councillor Dawn Johnson (Comeytrowe and Trull), who chaired the meeting, said: “As someone who can no longer drive due to eyesight loss, I am very reliant on taxis and buses – and I have a little insight into what the impact of not being able to get wheelchair accessible taxis would have on people’s lives.

“People are trying to live their best lives in these challenging circumstances, and I think we as a council should be supporting them.

“I have many residents in my area who have booked for an evening activity which is really important to them – and then suddenly they’ll get a call saying that the taxi company can’t provide a wheelchair accessible vehicle, and they’re stuck at home. That’s no quality of life.

“I really want us to see us do something better.”

Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts (Taunton East) said more needed to be done to ensure there were sufficient wheelchair-friendly vehicles available to boost Somerset’s night-time economy and support its cultural venues.

She said: “One of the concerns we have is in relation to access to entertainment venues in the evenings – particularly Westlands in Yeovil.

“We are often reliant on volunteer drivers to step in. Maybe this is something that our local community networks can look at.”

Councillor Wes Read (Yeovil West) said: “Even 20 per cent of vehicles being wheelchair accessible vehicles is poor. The figure for South Somerset needs to be better.”

Councillor Emily Pearlstone (Martock) added: “I could probably guarantee that a huge majority of the accessible taxis in Yeovil are unlikely to leave the boundary of the town itself.

“If there are any, I would be very, very surprised, given the costs that are incurred by anyone outside of Yeovil – it’s incredibly expensive.”

When Somerset Council was created in April 2023, it inherited five separate taxi licensing policies from the district councils it replaced (including two from the Somerset West and Taunton area following a previous merger in 2019).

The unitary authority is currently putting together a new taxi licensing policy to streamline these existing documents – which would include requirements for additional training for drivers.

Officers have promised to bring this new policy before the committee before it takes effect within the next 12 months.