Taxi Regulation Act 2003 (Wheelchair Accessible Hackneys and Wheelchair Accessible Taxis - Vehicle Standards) Regulations 2010.
Statutory Instruments
Source: Statutory Instruments

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paragraphs: These Regulations may be cited as the Taxi Regulation Act 2003 (Wheelchair Accessible Hackneys and Wheelchair Accessible Taxis —Vehicle Standards) Regulations 2010.
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paragraphs: These Regulations shall come into operation—
(a) on 8 June 2010 in respect of applications for the grant of a wheelchair accessible hackney or a wheelchair accessible taxi licence,
(b) on 8 June 2010 in respect of applications for the renewal of a licence referred to in paragraph (a), and
(c) on 3 January 2012 in respect of the renewal of a wheelchair accessible hackney or a wheelchair accessible taxi licence.
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paragraphs: In these Regulations—
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paragraphs: (1) These Regulations do not apply to products either or both—
(a) lawfully manufactured, and
(b) marketed
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paragraphs: A vehicle the subject of an application for the grant or renewal of a wheelchair accessible licence shall comply with the requirements of the Small Public Service Vehicle Regulations, insofar as they apply to such a vehicle.
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paragraphs: (1) A vehicle the subject of an application for the grant or renewal of a wheelchair accessible licence shall be constructed or converted specifically to accommodate at least one person seated in his or her wheelchair in addition to a minimum of three adult passengers and shall in its converted form hold—
(a) a category M1 ECWVTA Certificate of Conformity,
(b) a category M1 National or Low Volume or Small Series Type Approval Certificate of Conformity, or
(c) a category M1 Single or Individual Vehicle Approval Certificate.
(2) The applicant for a wheelchair accessible vehicle licence shall submit a Technical Assessor’s Report and information package confirming compliance with paragraph (1) and compliance by the vehicle (referenced by its VIN) with these Regulations in relation to seats, safety belts, seat and belt anchorages and wheelchair and occupant restraints anchorages and specialist equipment.
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paragraphs: (1) Subject to paragraph (2), a vehicle the subject of an application for the grant or renewal of a wheelchair accessible licence shall have a permanent, rigid roof covering the driver and passenger compartments.
(2) A vehicle referred to in paragraph (1) with a sunroof, to any length including full length, may be the subject of an application for a wheelchair accessible vehicle licence.
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paragraphs: (1) Accommodation for safely transporting luggage of minimum total volume of 420 litres, as measured by the VDA method, shall be provided within a vehicle the subject of an application for the grant or renewal of a wheelchair accessible licence.
(2) A guard or cover shall be fitted to the luggage compartment of any vehicle referred to in paragraph (1) sufficient to prevent luggage from causing injury to any passenger in the event of an accident.
(3) A space consisting of the minimum box dimensions 735 millimetres x 330 millimetres x 805 millimetres shall be provided within the luggage volume specified at paragraph (1) to accommodate a folded wheelchair.
(4) In relation to a vehicle the subject of an application for the grant or renewal of a wheelchair accessible taxi licence, the volume specified at paragraph (1) shall be in addition to the seating dimension requirements specified at Regulations 10 and 12.
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paragraphs: (1) A vehicle the subject of an application for the grant or renewal of a wheelchair accessible licence shall be fitted with—
(a) at least one wheelchair accessible door aperture capable of being opened from inside and outside the vehicle, located to the nearside or rear of the vehicle, affording unrestricted access to the wheelchair space referred to in Regulation 10 and of minimum dimensions of 745 millimetres in width and 1,250 millimetres in opening height, and
(b) at least one other opening door that enables access from inside or outside to the passenger compartment.
(2) The rear doors (vertically hinged) or tailgate (horizontally hinged) may be reckoned as an aperture referred to at paragraph (1)(a) if the vehicle concerned was designed for rear wheelchair entry and the doors otherwise meet the dimensions specified therein.
(3) The rear doors (vertically hinged) or tailgate (horizontally hinged) may be reckoned as an access opening referred to at paragraph 1(b).
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paragraphs: (1) A vehicle the subject of an application for the grant or renewal of a wheelchair accessible licence shall contain space of a minimum dimension of 1,350 millimetres in respect of headroom, 700 millimetres in respect of the width of the wheelchair space and 1,200 millimetres in respect of the length of the wheelchair space.
(2) Space of the dimensions specified in paragraph (1) shall be made available exclusively for the accommodation of one person to travel either forwards-facing or rearwards-facing in his or her wheelchair.
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paragraphs: (1) The top of the uncompressed front passenger seat squab in a vehicle the subject of an application for the grant or renewal of a wheelchair accessible licence shall be at least 275 millimetres from the floor of the vehicle, with a minimum foot exit space or radius between the corner of the squab and the door pillar of 350 millimetres.
(2) In respect of the vehicle referred to in paragraph (1) there shall be a substantially flat area on the floor of the vehicle immediately in front of the front passenger seat of a minimum dimension of 350 millimetres in length and 350 millimetres in width.
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paragraphs: (1) In relation to all passenger seats other than the front passenger seat in a vehicle the subject of an application for the grant or renewal of a wheelchair accessible licence—
(a) there shall be a minimum seat squab width of 400 millimetres in respect of each passenger, and
(b) the top of each uncompressed squab shall be at least 275 millimetres and not more than 460 millimetres from the vehicle floor at the front of the squab.
(2) In respect of a vehicle referred to in paragraph (1) there shall be at least 650 millimetres measured longitudinally and horizontally from the front face of the backrest at uncompressed squab height to the rear face of the seat or the surface immediately in front of the seat.
(3) Where in a vehicle referred to in paragraph (1) seats face each other, there shall be at least 1300 millimetres measured longitudinally and horizontally between the front faces of the opposing backrests at uncompressed squab height.
(4) The shoulder room of at least one row of rear seats in a vehicle referred to in paragraph (1) shall be a minimum of 1,360 millimetres.
(5) Subject to paragraph (6), no seat in a vehicle referred to in paragraph (1) may be added that contravenes these Regulations.
(6) A seat in a vehicle referred to in paragraph (1) may be replaced by a swivel seat fitted by an approved installer.
(7) Folding or removable seats may be used in a vehicle referred to in paragraph (1) only as supplied by the original manufacturer and in compliance with these Regulations.
(8) No seat on a vehicle referred to in paragraph (1) may be side facing.
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paragraphs: Seat covers in a vehicle the subject of an application for the grant or renewal of a wheelchair accessible licence shall be original equipment manufacturer quality cloth upholstery, leather retrims or of equivalent quality.
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paragraphs: (1) Safety belts, belt anchorages, seats, seat anchorages, seat mechanisms, and head restraints in a vehicle the subject of an application for the grant or renewal of a wheelchair accessible licence shall comply with the technical provisions of the relevant passenger car (M1) EC/UNECE standards.
(2) In respect of the vehicle referred to in paragraph (1) proof shall be provided that the same level of performance required by the passenger car (M1) EC/UNECE Directives/Regulations is guaranteed.
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paragraphs: (1) Where in respect of a vehicle the subject of an application for the grant or renewal of a wheelchair accessible licence—
(a) the vehicle is at normal ride attitude,
(b) the floor or lowest internal surface of the passenger compartment is higher than 230 millimetres from the ground, and
(c) the door aperture exceeds 1,150 millimetres in height,
(2) An access step shall have a slip-resistant surface.
(3) Where fitted, kneeling suspension may be lowered to reduce the normal ride attitude prior to any measurement of the passenger compartment floor height in a vehicle referred to in paragraph (1).
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paragraphs: (1) The tread depth of an access step shall be at least 200 millimetres and the width of the step shall be at least 400 millimetres.
(2) The height of the surface of an access step shall be no more than 230 millimetres from the ground, when the vehicle is at normal ride attitude.
(3) The maximum slope of an access step in any direction shall not exceed 3o when the vehicle is at normal ride attitude.
(4) An access step shall have clearly marked rounded nosings of not less than 40 millimetres in a bright colour contrasting to the colour scheme of the general interior.
(5) While a wheelchair accessible vehicle is in motion, an access step shall not project more than 10 millimetres beyond the widest part (excluding mirrors) of the vehicle exterior.
(6) The corners or supporting structures of an access step facing forwards or rearwards shall be rounded to a radius of not less than 5 millimetres and the edges of an access step shall be rounded to a radius of not less than 2.5 millimetres.
(7) Subject to paragraph (8), the edges of an access step shall be rounded to a radius of not less than 2.5 millimetres.
(8) Protruding parts of an access step made from a material of hardness not exceeding 60 shore A may have a radius of curvature of less than 2.5 millimetres.
(9) An access step that has been certified as part of the ECWVTA approved vehicle specification is deemed to have complied with the requirements referred to in paragraphs (5) to (8).
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paragraphs: An access step shall be designed and constructed to withstand, without permanent deformation or deflection at any point on the access step exceeding 10 millimetres, the following loads—
(a) in respect of an access step designed to take one person at a time, a mass of 136 kilogrammes placed in the centre of a single step, or
(b) in respect of an access step designed to accommodate more than one person at a time, a mass of 272 kilogrammes placed in the centre of a double step.
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paragraphs: Where a vehicle the subject of an application for the grant or renewal of a wheelchair accessible licence is fitted with a kneeling suspension system—
(a) a master control and separate user control for the kneeling system function shall be required to enable operation of the system,
(b) any control which initiates the lowering or raising of any part or the whole of the body relative to the road surface shall be clearly identified and under the direct control of the driver or the wheelchair occupant or his or her assistant,
(c) the lowering process shall be capable of being stopped and immediately reversed by either the master control or the separate user control, and
(d) the kneeling system shall not allow the vehicle to be driven at a speed exceeding 5 kilometres per hour where the vehicle is at lower than normal ride attitude.
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paragraphs: (1) A wheelchair ramp or other mechanism, referred to in these Regulations as a “boarding aid”, that is either part of a vehicle the subject of an application for the grant or renewal of a wheelchair accessible licence or is carried securely in that vehicle, shall be employed by the operator of that vehicle to permit a person travelling in a wheelchair to enter or exit the vehicle safely.
(2) Where the boarding aid is a powered lift assembly, the vehicle presenter shall provide a service or installation certificate no more than six months old which certificate shall confirm the minimum safe working load to be at least 300 kilogrammes.
(3) A lift platform shall be of minimum area 725 millimetres wide x 900 millimetres long.
(4) Subject to paragraph (6), a wheelchair ramp shall—
(a) have a maximum permitted ramp angle of 16o relative to true level, (for side entry vehicles only this shall be assessed with the free end raised 125 millimetres from the ground),
(b) be able to accommodate a variety of ground and kerb conditions,
(c) support a combined wheelchair and occupant mass of at least 300kg,
(d) where detachable, be suitable for manual handling,
(e) have a safe means of ramp stowage,
(f) where detachable, be permanently marked with the vehicle registration number of the associated vehicle,
(g) where detachable, have an adequate locating device to ensure that they do not slip or tilt when in use,
(h) provide a continuous, slip-resistant surface for the wheels of the wheelchair,
(i) be a minimum of 700 millimetres in width between the edge upturns,
(j) have safety edge upturns that are at least 25 millimetres in height,
(k) at all times be in good working order and available for use, and
(l) display a Safe Working Load (SWL) marking.