Boss of taxi firm for disabled people warns planned licensing changes could drive him out of Peterborough

The owner of a new taxi service, who says he aims to improve the quality of transport for disabled people, has urged Peterborough councillors to block planned changes to hire vehicle licensing rules.

Mohammed Bashir, who launched Passenger Assist Cambridgeshire, based at the Brightfield Business Hub, in Orton Southgate, just days ago, is concerned at new proposals by Peterborough City Council to extend the life of already licensed tail-lift enabled vehicles for hire from 10 years to 12 years.

The council also wants to extend the age at which tail-lift enabled vehicles for hire can first be accepted for licensing from four years to eight-years-old.

The new measures are to be discussed by the council’s licensing committee on Thursday but Mr Bashir says if approved the proposed changes will undermine his work to improve the quality of taxi services of people with disabilities and will force him to leave the city.

Mr Bashir says his business, which will have new and fully equipped tail-lift vehicles, seeks to overcome concerns that he says have been expressed to him about a lack of adequate disability mobility transport, poor training for drivers, high prices and inadequately cleaned car interiors.

He has just invested £60,000 in a Mercedes Sprinter to carry four passengers with room for wheelchairs and other equipment and says he is planning to order four new Ford transit vehicles fully customised for disabled passengers.

Mr Bashir says he has pledged to place an order to manufacturers for a further five vehicles to be delivered around later in the year.

He said: “This would bring our fleet to 10 new fully equipped vehicles to serve our disabled passengers in Peterborough.

"Each vehicle is costing us £55,326 plus any licensing costs by the council.”

Mr Bashir said: “I want councillors to block these changes as they will not make an improvement to the service.

“I’m afraid Passenger Assist, which is the first ever specialist mobility taxi firm in Peterborough, will have to move to a different county or city that would welcome this service and where we could work with a council who actually make the right decisions and not compromise safety of our passengers.”

But members of the licensing committee will be told the measures are necessary to avoid a shortage of tail-lift enabled vehicles in the city.

A report to the committee states it is estimated tail-lift enabled vehicles make up less than three per cent of taxi and private hire vehicles in Peterborough with many coming to the end of their 10 year life and due to be de-licensed.

It warns that with the rising cost of vehicles many are unlikely to be replaced, which could impact on the council’s ability to fulfil its legal duty to get eligible children from home to their place of education. Currently there are 145 children carried by the service, which uses taxis and hire minibuses, on 34 routes.

The report warns: “Peterborough City Council is committed to take action to ensure that current provision of vehicles is not impacted as a result of vehicles becoming de-licensed in the next 12 months and to encourage more vehicles into trade to meet future demand.”