Disabled Residents Demand Action: Council Failure Leaves Wheelchair Users Isolated
A Harrogate-based disability charity and a regional campaign group have called upon Mayor of York & North Yorkshire David Skaith to intervene following North Yorkshire Council's (NYC) repeated failure to address a severe shortage of wheelchair-accessible taxis in the region.
Ian Lawson, Chair of the NYDF ATG; Jackie Snape, Chief Executive, Disability Action Yorkshire
Disability Action Yorkshire (DAY) and North Yorkshire Disability Forum’s Accessible Transport Group (NYDF ATG) state this crisis is leaving disabled North Yorkshire residents isolated and unable to travel.
The campaign highlights that the lack of accessible taxis restricts disabled people's ability to reach hospitals, work, and social events, and that this is turn contributes significantly to transport-related social isolation across the region.
The issue of taxi accessibility has been campaigned on for over two decades. Ian Lawson, Chair of the NYDF ATG and a wheelchair user, notes that despite assurances, the situation worsened when North Yorkshire Council was formed.
"On the first day that NYC came into being they enacted a new Taxi & Private Hire Licensing Policy that resulted in an increase of 144 more saloon taxis but not one more wheelchair taxi," stated Mr. Lawson in a letter addressed to Mayor Skaith.
This policy was adopted despite overwhelming evidence of need, including:
NYC’s own commissioned research (Temple Group, 2023), which confirmed an unmet need for more accessible taxis.
NYC’s Inclusive Service Plan, which explicitly stated that 200 more wheelchair-accessible taxis are required across the region.
The House of Commons Transport Committee’s "Access Denied" report (2024), which called on regulators to “change their mindset” to end the discrimination disabled people experience.
Jackie Snape, Chief Executive of Disability Action Yorkshire stated that the failure to act constitutes a denial of basic rights.
"Accessible transport is not a luxury - it is a fundamental right and a cornerstone of independent living," said Ms. Snape. "The shortage of wheelchair-accessible taxis severely limits disabled people’s ability to reach work, healthcare, education, and social opportunities."
Disability Action Yorkshire is urging Mayor Skaith to use his influence within the new Combined Authority to address this systemic failure. Specifically, the charities ask the Mayor to:
Urge North Yorkshire Council to publish without further delay the report following its consultation on the Licensing Policy, which closed in April 2025.
Encourage NYC to take immediate and measurable action to increase the number of licensed wheelchair-accessible taxis.
Ensure that forthcoming Strategic and Local Transport Plans embed accessibility as a core priority.
Mr. Lawson concluded with a strong message to the authorities: “It is time now that the taxi trade and the regulator, North Yorkshire Council, stopped treating disabled people as second class citizens.”
Disability Action Yorkshire has offered to meet with the Mayor’s office alongside Mr. Lawson to work collaboratively toward a truly accessible transport system.
