CALL A CAB - CHANCE WOULD BE A FINE THING. THE IMPORTANCE OF TAXI TRANSPORT FOR ELDERLY AND DISABLED PEOPLE AND THE PROBLEMS OF PROVISION

Attitudes towards the provision of transport to elderly and disabled people are improving and legislation such as the American Disabilities Act have increased attempts to improve accessibility. As part of the transport menu, taxis lie uneasily between the two areas of public and private transport and attitudes towards the degree of regulation to achieve accessibility is controversial. Taxis are an essential, and in some cases the only, transport opportunity available to many elderly and disabled people. Recent research carried out by the author is used to focus on the legislative, economic, operating and social issues involved, and it is argued that radical changes are needed to improve the provision of satisfactory taxi services to elderly and disabled people; and by implication to other major users such as women on lower incomes.