A call for more minicabs which can be used by wheelchair users in mid-Essex has been answered.

Disabled friendly taxis will be appearing on the streets of Braintree, Witham and Halstead from now on after councillors agreed more were needed in the area.

Councillors discussed ways taxis in the area could improve their services for disabled people at Braintree Council's regulatory committee meeting.

At present, there are no wheelchair-accessible private hire vehicles working in Witham as they are all are based in Braintree.

Secretary of the charity Scope in Witham, Sue Helman, has been campaigning for more minicabs in the town which can take disabled passengers for many years and had branded the town as "lagging behind".

Currently 74 Hackney carriages are working within the Braintree district, out of these only four are accessible to disabled customers.

To increase the number of disabled-friendly Hackney carriages, the council agreed all new licenses should only be for cars which cater for wheelchairs too.

It was proposed this should be the case until there is an equal balance of able-bodied and wheelchair accessible vehicles.

Councillors also agreed to a number of conditions covering private hire firms. Out of 171 licensed private hire vehicles only seven are wheelchair accessible.

Speaking after the meeting, chairman of the Braintree District Taxi Association, Richard Hearn, said they were in support of all the motions but thought making 50 per cent of Hackney carriages wheelchair accessible seemed "very large" although he understood the reasons for the council's decision.

Published Tuesday, February 19, 2002