This taxi driver welcomes stricter rules preventing discrimination against disabled passengers - Yorkshire Post Letters

As a hackney carriage driver for over 26 years, it is to be readily welcomed that stricter rules to prevent discrimination towards disabled passengers has now received cross-party support in the House of Lords.

The Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Bill proposes to address inconsistencies in the Equality Act while tackling the awful discrimination unfortunately encountered by disabled people.

Under the proposed legislation, drivers committing an offence will rightly be subject to a fine of up to £1,000.

The Bill is sponsored by former Transport Secretary Lord McLoughlin who acknowledges that most of its provisions should have been enshrined into law many years ago while acknowledging that the majority of taxi drivers are a credit to this country.

Disabled passengers need to be made more welcome and are seen as a burden to some very unhelpful drivers. It’s important that regardless of their disabilities, such people can still get out and about to their appointments etc.

The Bill now passes on to the committee stage.