Equality Act Duties for Taxi Drivers

Equality Act duties for taxi drivers are some of the most tested rules in the UK, and some of the most enforced. They protect disabled passengers' right to travel, and they apply to every taxi and private hire driver, in London and across every council area. This page sets out each duty as a checklist, explains the exemption rules, covers the 2022 changes and local rules, and finishes with scenarios to test yourself.

The duties are in Part 12, Chapter 1 of the Equality Act 2010 (sections 160 to 173), as amended by the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022. The DfT explains them in its guidance Access to taxis and private hire vehicles for disabled users. UK Driver Licence Prep is an independent study aid; this page summarises the law for drivers preparing for tests and is not legal advice. Checked October 2026.

The duties at a glance

Duty	Section	Who it applies to
Carry a disabled passenger, their wheelchair and mobility aids, help them, and don't charge extra	164A	Every taxi and private hire driver, except where s.165 applies
Carry a wheelchair user in their wheelchair, help them, and don't charge extra	165	Drivers of vehicles on the council's wheelchair-accessible list
Help a disabled passenger find and identify the vehicle, free	165A	Private hire drivers and drivers of pre-booked taxis, if told before the journey
Councils must keep and publish a list of wheelchair-accessible vehicles	167	Licensing authorities
Operators must not refuse a booking because of disability, or charge extra	167A	Private hire operators
Carry an assistance dog, let it stay with the passenger, and don't charge extra	168 (taxis), 170 (private hire)	Every driver, unless exempt
Exemption certificates	166, 169, 171	Drivers with medical grounds, granted by the licensing authority

Every one of these driver duties carries the same penalty: on conviction, a fine up to level 3 on the standard scale (£1,000).

Key fact: The ban on extra charges covers proposing a charge as well as taking one. Saying "that'll be £5 more for the dog" is already an offence, even if the passenger refuses to pay.

Duty 1: carry and assist any disabled passenger (section 164A)

Added by the 2022 Act, this duty applies to the driver of any taxi or private hire vehicle hired by or for a disabled person. It also applies where someone hires the vehicle wanting to travel with a disabled person. The driver must:

1. carry the passenger;
2. carry their wheelchair, if they have one;
3. carry any mobility aids;
4. take reasonable steps to make sure the passenger travels safely and in reasonable comfort;
5. give the mobility assistance reasonably needed; and
6. not make, or propose to make, any extra charge for doing any of this.

It applies whatever the disability. The DfT's guidance says it doesn't matter what impairment a passenger has, only what help they need. In a vehicle that is not on the council's list, the law assumes a wheelchair user will move to a passenger seat, and the driver must carry the folded wheelchair.

What counts as reasonable help? The DfT guidance gives examples: opening the door, folding a manual wheelchair and putting it in the boot, setting up the ramp, and securing a mobility aid. Depending on the chair and the driver, it may include pushing a manual or light electric wheelchair up a ramp. Only touch a wheelchair or help someone physically with their permission. Ask what help they want, listen, then do it.

Duty 2: wheelchair users in designated vehicles (section 165)

A vehicle is "designated" if it appears on the licensing authority's list under section 167, which councils must keep and publish. For a passenger in a wheelchair, the driver of a designated vehicle must:

• carry them while in the wheelchair, or, if they choose a passenger seat, carry the wheelchair;
• carry any mobility aids;
• take the steps necessary for the passenger to travel safely and in reasonable comfort;
• help them in and out, including in their wheelchair if they want to stay in it, and load luggage and mobility aids;
• not charge extra.

The driver does not have to carry more than one wheelchair user on a journey unless the vehicle is of a type the regulations specify, or carry someone they could otherwise lawfully refuse.

Many councils make most or all hackney carriages wheelchair accessible. Birmingham and Wolverhampton require it for all hackney carriages, Oxford's hackneys are in effect all designated, and Sevenoaks has licensed only wheelchair accessible vehicles for new hackney plates since 2016.

Exam tip: Section 165 is about designated vehicles and wheelchair users. Section 164A covers everyone else. If a question mentions the council's list under section 167, the answer is almost always section 165.

Duty 3: help the passenger find the vehicle (section 165A)

Where a private hire vehicle or pre-booked taxi has been booked by or for a disabled person, and the driver has been told before the journey that the passenger needs help to find or identify the vehicle, the driver must take reasonable steps to help, with no extra charge. The DfT suggests calling a visually impaired passenger on arrival, giving a hearing-impaired passenger the car's colour and registration, or repeating key information for someone with a cognitive impairment.

Duty 4: assistance dogs (sections 168 and 170)

A taxi driver hired by a disabled person with an assistance dog must carry the dog, let it stay with the passenger, and not charge extra (section 168). For private hire, section 170 makes it an offence for the operator to refuse a booking because of an assistance dog, for the operator or driver to charge extra, and for the driver to refuse to carry out a booking because of the dog.

The DfT guidance adds practical points: don't add a surcharge to the meter for the dog, start the meter only once the passenger and dog are settled and you are ready to go, and stop it as soon as you arrive, before unloading.

What counts as an assistance dog

Section 173 of the Act defines an assistance dog. It covers dogs trained to guide a blind person or help a deaf person, dogs trained by a prescribed charity to help a person with certain disabilities such as epilepsy or conditions affecting mobility, and other prescribed categories. Many assistance dogs wear a harness or jacket, but don't refuse a passenger just because their dog has none: if in doubt, carry them and check with your licensing team afterwards.

Pets and emotional support animals are different. Wolverhampton's guidance tells drivers that emotional support dogs are not assistance dogs, and that trainee assistance dogs must be treated as assistance dogs. For other animals, the driver may decide, and many councils, such as Stroud, say they must travel in the rear.

Exemption certificates

A driver who genuinely cannot carry out a duty for medical reasons must apply to the licensing authority for a certificate. There are three kinds:

Exemption	Section	Grounds	What it covers
Mobility assistance	166	Medical grounds, or a physical condition that makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult	Only the duty to give mobility assistance
Assistance dogs in taxis	169	Medical grounds, considering the vehicle	The section 168 dog duties
Assistance dogs in private hire	171	Medical grounds, considering the vehicle	Refusing a booking because of the dog

Rules that tests ask about:

• The exemption only works if the certificate is in force and the prescribed notice is displayed in the vehicle. Councils' own wording varies: Wolverhampton says the section 171 notice faces outwards on the windscreen; Sheffield says the section 169 notice is displayed facing out; Stroud says on the windscreen or in a prominent place on the dashboard.
• Councils want medical evidence. Stroud asks for GP authorisation with evidence such as a blood test or skin-prick test; Birmingham asks for occupational health confirmation; Sheffield asks for GP evidence.
• Certificates are time-limited. Milton Keynes, for example, issues assistance dog exemptions for no more than six months.
• An exemption from mobility assistance does not exempt you from anything else. The DfT says an exempt driver must still carry the passenger and must never charge extra.

Key fact: An exemption is personal to the driver, limited in time and tied to the vehicle type. You must have it before the journey, and the notice must be on display.

What the 2022 Act changed

Before 2022, the main wheelchair duties applied only to drivers of designated vehicles. The Disabled Persons Act 2022 came into force on 28 June 2022, two months after it was passed, and:

• added section 164A, extending duties to all disabled passengers and all taxi and private hire drivers;
• added section 165A, the duty to help passengers find a pre-booked vehicle;
• added section 167A, making it an offence for operators to refuse a booking because of disability, or to charge extra;
• extended the duties to mobility aids, not only wheelchairs.

Local rules councils add

Council	Rule
Oxford	Wheelchairs never travel sideways; attach restraints to the rear frame uprights and use the seat belt too
Bristol	A wheelchair passenger in a hackney normally faces the rear, with a three-point belt
York	Only drivers who passed the wheelchair exercise and disability course may drive a wheelchair-accessible hackney
Stroud	Don't leave the meter running while helping a disabled passenger; help them identify the vehicle when you know of their disability at booking
Nottingham	Carry assistance dogs unless you display a council Notice of Exemption; no extra charge for wheelchair users or dogs
Birmingham	All hackney carriages wheelchair accessible; dog exemption needs occupational health confirmation

Practise these with Birmingham equality, and read your council's page from our council taxi knowledge test guide. Oxford's test has a separate five-question disability awareness section needing 80%, and Wolverhampton's has two key disability questions.

Equality in the SERU

TfL's SERU tests these duties in its equality and disability section. The PHV SERU uses the PHV Driver's Handbook and the taxi SERU the Taxi Driver Handbook. Read the SERU equality and disability note, drill SERU equality practice or taxi SERU equality practice, and see SERU questions and answers for how the questions are worded.

Scenarios to test yourself

These are our own examples.

1. The allergy. You have a mild dislike of dogs but no medical condition. A passenger with a guide dog gets in at a rank. Answer: You must carry them both, with no extra charge. Without an exemption certificate and notice on display, refusing is an offence.

2. The folding wheelchair. Your saloon is not on the council's list. A passenger who uses a manual wheelchair books through your operator. Answer: Section 164A applies. Carry the passenger, fold the chair into the boot with their permission, help as needed, and keep the meter off while you do it.

3. The ramp. You drive a designated wheelchair-accessible taxi. A passenger wants to stay in their wheelchair. Answer: Section 165 applies. Deploy the ramp, help them in, secure the wheelchair the way your council requires (Oxford, for example, never allows it to face sideways), and don't charge for the time spent.

4. The "pet". A passenger asks you to take their emotional support dog. Answer: It is not an assistance dog under the Act, so you may decide. If you take it, follow your council's rules on animals, often in the rear only.

5. The meeting point. Your operator's booking notes say the passenger is blind and needs help finding the car outside a busy station. Answer: Section 165A applies. Phone on arrival, describe where you are, and walk over to help if needed, with no extra charge.

Your study plan

1. Read the section-by-section table above until you can match each duty to its section number.
2. Learn your council's local rules on wheelchairs and exemption notices, or the SERU handbook section if you are in London.
3. Drill equality topic practice for your test until you score 100% three times running.
4. Pair it with safeguarding, which most tests examine alongside equality: see safeguarding questions for taxi drivers.
5. Test yourself with your test's free mock 1, and check your equality score separately.