What action is the Welsh Government taking in order to resolve accessible taxi provision, including the absence of appropriate options for users of electric wheelchairs?
The Welsh Government recognises the important role that accessible taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) play in enabling disabled people, including powered wheelchair users, to travel independently.
Responsibility for taxi and PHV licensing, including setting local licensing requirements, currently rests with local authorities. To promote greater consistency of standards and practices across Wales, the Welsh Government has published guidance for local authorities. This includes accessibility and equality training resources for drivers to help improve customer service for passengers across Wales.
Passengers have a range of accessibility needs, and some powered wheelchairs require specific vehicle configurations to ensure safe access and egress. Wider equality legislation, including regulations governing the design of taxis and PHVs for wheelchair users, is reserved to the UK Government. As a result, key legislative requirements are determined at a UK level. The Law Commission is currently reviewing the legal framework for accessible transport in England and Wales.
Within its devolved responsibilities, the Welsh Government is improving accessibility across the transport system through the Travel for All strategy, which seeks to remove barriers to travel and embed accessibility and inclusion across transport policy, services and infrastructure. The strategy is underpinned by five principles: feeling safe, feeling welcome, accessibility, involvement and embedding change.
To support delivery of the strategy, Welsh Government commissioned Travel for All User Research in January 2026. The research is exploring people’s experiences of transport across Wales, including taxi services, and will help identify barriers to accessible and inclusive travel and inform future policy development. The research is ongoing, with a final report expected in autumn 2026.