A Step Forward for Accessible Travel in Telford, But We Must Think Bigger.
Let’s start with some good news. Telford & Wrekin Council’s Regulatory Committee has just taken a positive step for our community. They’ve voted to cut the red tape for taxi operators who run those vital Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs).
Instead of forcing well-maintained WAVs to automatically retire at 12 years, the council can now grant extensions, recognising that these vehicles are expensive to buy and adapt—sometimes costing tens of thousands of pounds.
Let’s start with some good news. Telford & Wrekin Council’s Regulatory Committee has just taken a positive step for our community. They’ve voted to cut the red tape for taxi operators who run those vital Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs).
Instead of forcing well-maintained WAVs to automatically retire at 12 years, the council can now grant extensions, recognising that these vehicles are expensive to buy and adapt—sometimes costing tens of thousands of pounds.
As Conservative Councillor Rachael Tyrrell rightly said, this is about "keeping more wheelchair accessible taxis on the road" and supporting the drivers who are a "credit to the borough."
This is a welcome move. It shows the council is listening. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: it’s a defensive move, not an offensive one. It helps stop the numbers from falling further, but it does very little to make them grow. And in Telford, we desperately need them to grow.
Let’s look at the numbers
This is a welcome move. It shows the council is listening. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: it’s a defensive move, not an offensive one. It helps stop the numbers from falling further, but it does very little to make them grow. And in Telford, we desperately need them to grow.
Let’s look at the numbers
In our entire borough, there are only 14 wheelchair-accessible Private Hire Vehicles and 19 Hackney Carriages. When you consider that there are over 1,200 drivers licensed to operate here, that means a shockingly low 1.1% to 1.8% of our potential taxi fleet is capable of serving a wheelchair user.
Let that sink in
Nationally, the figure is 12.4%—and even that is considered a crisis and is falling year on year. We are being left in the dust. For residents who rely on a wheelchair, the current "solution" is a stark choice: hope one of the WAVs is free, or navigate the council’s Dial-a-Ride service, which requires booking 24 hours in advance, doesn't run on weekends or bank holidays, and can't take mobility scooters.
Is this truly the standard of independence we’re offering in 2025?
We cannot simply rely on the goodwill of a few dedicated drivers to shoulder the entire financial burden of accessibility. We need to make it a no-brainer for operators to invest in WAVs. The council has a whole toolkit it hasn’t fully opened yet.
It’s time to get creative. It’s time to be innovative
What if we discount licensing fees for every WAV, making them cheaper to run year after year?
What if we created a"WAV-Only" priority ranks, guaranteeing the best spots and the most lucrative fares for these drivers?
What if the council brokered a game-changing deal with the local others, like the NHS trust to funnel non-emergency patient transport to WAV operators creating a guaranteed, steady income stream?
These aren’t radical, pie-in-the-sky ideas. They are practical, proven strategies used by forward-thinking councils across the country. They use a mix of smart incentives and partnerships to build a business case for accessibility.
The recent decision to extend vehicle life is a plaster on a wound that needs stitches. We need a proactive strategy, not just reactive fixes. Perhaps what we need most of all are fresh minds around the council table—new perspectives untethered to the "way things have always been done," with a positive, can-do outlook that sees this not as a regulatory headache, but as a fundamental duty to our community.
Let’s welcome this small change, but let’s use it as a springboard. Let’s demand a comprehensive plan that will genuinely increase the number of accessible vehicles on our roads. Every resident in Telford and Wrekin deserves the freedom to travel spontaneously, safely, and with dignity.
It’s not just about getting from A to B. It’s about having access to the whole alphabet.
Let that sink in
Nationally, the figure is 12.4%—and even that is considered a crisis and is falling year on year. We are being left in the dust. For residents who rely on a wheelchair, the current "solution" is a stark choice: hope one of the WAVs is free, or navigate the council’s Dial-a-Ride service, which requires booking 24 hours in advance, doesn't run on weekends or bank holidays, and can't take mobility scooters.
Is this truly the standard of independence we’re offering in 2025?
We cannot simply rely on the goodwill of a few dedicated drivers to shoulder the entire financial burden of accessibility. We need to make it a no-brainer for operators to invest in WAVs. The council has a whole toolkit it hasn’t fully opened yet.
It’s time to get creative. It’s time to be innovative
What if we discount licensing fees for every WAV, making them cheaper to run year after year?
What if we created a"WAV-Only" priority ranks, guaranteeing the best spots and the most lucrative fares for these drivers?
What if the council brokered a game-changing deal with the local others, like the NHS trust to funnel non-emergency patient transport to WAV operators creating a guaranteed, steady income stream?
These aren’t radical, pie-in-the-sky ideas. They are practical, proven strategies used by forward-thinking councils across the country. They use a mix of smart incentives and partnerships to build a business case for accessibility.
The recent decision to extend vehicle life is a plaster on a wound that needs stitches. We need a proactive strategy, not just reactive fixes. Perhaps what we need most of all are fresh minds around the council table—new perspectives untethered to the "way things have always been done," with a positive, can-do outlook that sees this not as a regulatory headache, but as a fundamental duty to our community.
Let’s welcome this small change, but let’s use it as a springboard. Let’s demand a comprehensive plan that will genuinely increase the number of accessible vehicles on our roads. Every resident in Telford and Wrekin deserves the freedom to travel spontaneously, safely, and with dignity.
It’s not just about getting from A to B. It’s about having access to the whole alphabet.
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