Types of Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles
There are two types – Taxis and Hackneys.
Taxis and Wheelchair Accessible Taxis:
Taxis and wheelchair accessible taxis are public hire vehicles. Their licence and licensing requirements allow them to stand for hire at a rank (taxi ranks at airports, train and bus stations) and they can also be hailed on the street. The vehicle is equipped with a taximeter to ensure the maximum fare charged is within regulations. Fares less than the metered value are of course possible.
Hackneys and Wheelchair Accessible Hackneys:
Hackneys and wheelchair accessible hackneys are different in that they are private hire vehicles. They do not have taximeters and the key difference is that the journey must be pre-booked, i.e. fare and trip agreed in advance, hence no need for the taximeter. They cannot stand for hire at a rank anywhere nor ply for hire, i.e. they cannot take fares from the public on the street.
The National Transport Authority has created a register of all Wheelchair Accessible Taxis throughout the country. This is to enable improved access to this specialised service for people with disabilities.
You can call the Information Line on 0761 064000 and request contact information for a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle service that operates within your area. If you are calling from outside Ireland please phone + 353 761 064000
You can also e-mail the Authority at taxis@nationaltransport.ie
A guide dog or assistance dog may accompany their owner free of charge in the vehicle.
