Vol. 496 No. 3
317 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties that confront many disabled people with regard to the availability of wheelchair accessible taxis; the plans, if any, he has to give powers to local authorities or to any other body to allow the monitoring of wheelchair accessible taxis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22636/98]
Considerable progress is being made in increasing the quality and quantity of wheelchair accessible taxis. While taxi licensing is devolved to local authorities, I understand the great majority of new taxi licences nationally and all such new licences in Dublin are being issued in respect of wheelchair accessible taxis.
The Dublin taxi forum, August 1998, made a number of recommendations relevant to wheelchair access to taxis. These include recommendations for all new taxi licences to be for wheelchair accessible taxis, VRT on such vehicles to be zero rated, and a consumer focus panel to be established by Dublin taxi interests. These recommendations have been addressed to, and are being considered by, the parties concerned.
