Response 4040488

Response to request for information

Reference

4040488

Response date

2 July 2026

Request

I am a resident of Beeston, NG9, and a wheelchair user. I am contacting you regarding the lack of wheelchair-accessible taxis serving East Midlands Parkway railway station, which falls within Rushcliffe.

While the station has full step-free access, there is no permanent rank of wheelchair-accessible vehicles. This means disabled passengers arriving by train cannot expect same-day onward travel unless they pre-book hours in advance, which is not always possible.

The Department for Transport’s 2023 Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Best Practice Guidance encourages licensing authorities to ensure a mixed fleet, including wheelchair-accessible vehicles, especially at key transport interchanges. East Midlands Parkway is a regional parkway serving the airport and three cities, yet wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) provision is not guaranteed.

Please could you let me know:

1. How many wheelchair-accessible vehicles are currently licensed by Rushcliffe Borough Council
2. What conditions, if any, require WAVs to serve East Midlands Parkway
3. Whether the council can encourage or incentivise operators to provide WAVs at the station on a regular basis

Response

1. How many wheelchair-accessible vehicles are currently licensed by Rushcliffe Borough Council
   • Rushcliffe Borough Council currently licenses 200 hackney carriage and private hire vehicles recorded as wheelchair-accessible vehicles. The Council also keeps a designated list under section 167 of the Equality Act 2010, which is available at: Section 167 list of accessible vehicles - Rushcliffe Borough Council. We recognise how important reliable accessible transport is, particularly for people who need to plan journeys with confidence. While a significant number of these vehicles are used for SEND transport, Rushcliffe-licensed operators, including NG11 Cars and DG Private Hire, are able to accept bookings for wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Operators licensed by neighbouring authorities may also be able to provide pre-booked private hire journeys in the area, provided the relevant licensing requirements are met.
2. What conditions, if any, require WAVs to serve East Midlands Parkway

   • There is no current licence condition or policy requirement that specifically requires wheelchair-accessible vehicles to serve East Midlands Parkway. We appreciate that this may be disappointing for passengers who rely on accessible transport and would like greater certainty when travelling from the station. However, private hire vehicles must still be pre-booked through a licensed operator and cannot ply or stand for immediate hire.

     East Midlands Parkway is private land, so any arrangement for vehicles to wait or operate there would need the landowner’s agreement. A formal hackney carriage stand would also require the necessary legal authority and practical arrangements to be in place; however the current number of licensed Hackney Carriages would not support this. The Council understands the value of having accessible vehicles available at key transport locations, but it cannot require private hire vehicles to wait at the station for immediate hire, as this would not be consistent with the legal distinction between private hire vehicles and hackney carriages.

3. Whether the council can encourage or incentivise operators to provide WAVs at the station on a regular basis
   • The Council can continue to work positively with operators and encourage improvements in accessible transport provision, in line with Department for Transport guidance. Any incentive or support would need to be lawful, fair and transparent. The Council cannot compel an operator to provide wheelchair-accessible vehicles at East Midlands Parkway unless there is a clear legal or licensing basis to do so. Where an operator has a private arrangement with Network Rail, the number and type of vehicles provided remains a commercial decision for that operator, subject to licensing law, licence conditions, and equality duties. The Council will continue to encourage accessible provision wherever it can, while recognising the limits of its legal powers.