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Helping vulnerable residents
It's important we make Watford’s taxis and minicabs accessible and welcoming to our whole community. The Equality Act places this duty on the drivers of designated wheelchair accessible taxis and PHVs to provide physical assistance to passengers in wheelchairs or have physical disabilities.
The duties being placed on the drivers of designated wheelchair accessible taxis and PHVs are:
- to carry the passenger while in a wheelchair
- not to make any additional charge for doing so
- if the passenger chooses to sit in a passenger seat, to carry the wheelchair
- to take such steps as are necessary to ensure that the passenger is carried in safety and reasonable comfort; and
- to give the passenger such mobility assistance as is reasonably required.
It is also an offence under the Equality Act 2010 for a driver to refuse or decline to take a customer who is accompanied by an assistance dog unless the driver has an exemption certificate issued by the council.
75% of assistance dog owners surveyed nationally by Guide Dogs UK have been refused access to a taxi, restaurant or shop, and the council are working with local businesses to reduce these worrying numbers. Taxi and private hire drivers have received disability awareness training for a number of years and the council has worked alongside local charity Disability Watford to deliver training to licensed venues in the town centre.
Watford is working towards becoming a Dementia Friendly Community, where people will be aware of and understand dementia, so that people with dementia can continue to live in the way they want to and in the community they choose. This will ensure that people with dementia feel understood, valued and able to contribute to their community.
Over a third of people with dementia told the Alzheimer’s Society that they have felt lonely recently. More than a quarter of carers said they felt ‘cut off from society’ too. People affected by dementia still have an incredible amount to offer to their community and can play an active and valuable role after diagnosis
To achieve recognition as a Watford business working to become dementia friendly, please contact Kerrie Marks or Nicola Webster on 01923 278416 and book your free Dementia Friends information session now.
