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Taxi Voucher Scheme: Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council
A4.98 Kirklees Metropolitan Council has introduced a taxi voucher scheme, in conjunction with other initiatives, such as improved driver training, to make travel by taxi more accessible, and more affordable, for disabled people. Whilst the scheme has been widely acknowledged to have been a success, it was terminated during the course of the current project due to a lack of funding.
Description of the scheme
A4.99 Kirklees Metropolitan Council, in West Yorkshire, introduced a taxi voucher scheme in 1996 to make travel by taxi more affordable for disabled people. The scheme was open to disabled people living in specific areas of central Huddersfield and its surrounding areas.
A4.100 The taxi voucher scheme enabled users to purchase up to six books of taxi vouchers per year at a cost of £5 per book. The voucher books contained 15 vouchers, each with a face value of £1, which could be exchanged in return for travel with taxi firms participating in the scheme. A member of the scheme could therefore obtain a maximum of £90 worth of vouchers at a cost of £30 each financial year, with any unused vouchers expiring at the end of March each year.
A4.101 The users of the scheme were provided with a list of registered taxi operators, all of which had wheelchair-accessible vehicles in their fleets. Users of the taxi vouchers were encouraged to make telephone bookings for trips with these operators in order that they did not accidentally hail taxis from firms not participating in the scheme. By making a telephone booking the scheme's users were also able to inform the taxi firm that that they would be using vouchers to travel and of any other mobility needs (e.g. wheelchair access required).
A4.102 Users of the scheme were required to hold a Kirklees Passport, which acted as a form of photo identification to support the use of the taxi vouchers. The Kirklees Passport also provided discounted access to a range of amenities, such as library services and local adult education schemes, and cost £3 per year.
A4.103 The scheme had an initial target of 300 people to be registered after the first year of operation. This target was not met, so targets were subsequently reduced. After the scheme had been operational for a year, there were 40 users. Taxi vouchers were originally implemented to improve mobility to the town centre, but they could also be used for travel outside of Huddersfield (although many people do not actually realise that this is the case).
A4.104 In addition to the taxi voucher scheme the Council's Taxi Licensing Department also produced a video, to assist in the training of every newly licensed driver in how to use wheelchair accessible taxis properly, and how best to assist disabled customers; such training is mandatory for new drivers to obtain a licence. Measures have also been employed to provide incentives to drivers to provide the best possible service; these include a "Driver of the Year" award, which is voted for by taxi users. Such incentives for drivers have appeared to have been successful in raising standards of service.
A4.105 At first, there was not a comprehensive structure to allow driving training for the fifty wheelchair accessible hackney carriages, but the Taxi Licensing Department has since produced a video to train every newly licensed driver in how to use wheelchair accessible taxis properly and how best to assist disabled customers.
Area and population
A4.106 The population of the Kirklees Metropolitan Council area is of the magnitude of 391,000. The population of Huddersfield, the main town within this conurbation, was 146,234 in 2001; in Scotland, this is roughly equivalent to the population of Dundee (154,674 in 2001).
Parties involved in the planning, funding and operation of the scheme
A4.107 The scheme was jointly financed by "Huddersfield Pride" (a regeneration budget), Rural Partnership and Single Regeneration Budget Round 5 ( SRB5) funding, and was run partly in partnership with the charity SCOPE. People eligible for taking part in the taxi voucher scheme were disabled people resident in Huddersfield, or in rural areas covered by Rural Partnership funding; these areas account for approximately a third of the Kirklees Metropolitan Council area.
A4.108 The scheme was overseen by a Steering Group, which included representatives of the Huddersfield Passport scheme and organisations representing the interests of disabled people in the area.
Number and type of trips facilitated
A4.109 A customer survey carried out by Kirklees MC showed that 40% of users used the taxi vouchers twice a week or more; 17% of users were making regular shopping trips with the vouchers, whilst 15% were visiting friends/relatives. An interesting finding was that, in spite of the vouchers becoming available, 63% of user feedback indicated that this had not caused more travel to be undertaken.
A4.110 Whilst the voucher scheme was primarily directed at taxi use, as opposed to the use of private hire vehicles, there was some extension of the scheme to PHVs in more rural areas.
User feedback
A4.111 Funding has been made available to commission an evaluation of the Taxi Voucher Scheme. Data collected was both qualitative and quantitative in its nature. A sample of users was interviewed, and this sample indicated that they found out about the scheme through personal contact, i.e. by someone telling them face to face or by a letter / newsletter / tape sent to them. The survey showed that 40% of users used the taxi vouchers twice a week or more; 17% of users were making regular shopping trips with the vouchers, whilst 15% were visiting friends/relatives. The customer survey also revealed that 75% of users considered that taxi drivers were either "very helpful" or "helpful". An interesting finding was that, in spite of the vouchers becoming available, 63% of user feedback indicated that this had not caused more travel to be undertaken.
A4.112 Feedback about the vouchers was also given. Users had commented that the vouchers had been too awkward to fill in, so a solution was to produce a 'large print' voucher booklet. It was also suggested that those with physical impairments could be issued with an ID card holder that could be clipped to their jacket.
A4.113 Overall, the evaluation showed that the taxi voucher scheme has been a success in giving disabled people improved confidence in their mobility, and so has contributed to improving their quality of life.
A4.114 In general terms, one of the successes of the scheme had been to promote the use of taxis and private hire vehicles by disabled people, many of whom had not previously considered these to be an appropriate or affordable means of transport. This was partly due to the relationships that had been established between drivers and customers - and, in turn, this building of trust between the public and the industry had been encouraged by the training of drivers in how best to assist disabled people. Anecdotal evidence suggested that many disabled people began to look forward to their periodic trips by taxi, and seeing the familiar face of their regular driver, and travelling by taxi had begun to be considered to be an important part of their life. This increased confidence to travel, door-to-door, had also helped to increase travel horizons, so increasing the social inclusion of many disabled people.
A4.115 The main advantage of travelling by taxi appears to have been that of the flexibility that the service offers - the freedom to travel when and where the user desires, using a voucher. This was frequently mentioned as a major advantage of the use of taxi vouchers, over the use of the Public Transport Authority's demand responsive Plus Bus service.
Sustainability and plans for expansion
A4.116 The current case study provides an interesting example of a scheme which, whilst being widely acknowledged to have been a success, was not sustainable - the scheme was in fact terminated during the course of the current research project.
A4.117 The reason for the termination of the scheme was that its three initial sources of funding - Huddersfield Pride, the Rural Partnership and SRB5 - all came to an end. When the scheme was referred to Kirklees Metropolitan Council, with the suggestion that the scheme be extended to cover the whole of the Kirklees area, this was considered to be infeasible, on the grounds of the projected cost of the scheme. Whilst the scheme had been available to residents in approximately a third of the Kirklees area (i.e. rural and SRB areas), the Council was faced with the dilemma of having to apply the scheme to the entire area or not at all. Given that the costs of subsidising taxi vouchers, effectively to the tune of two-thirds of the cost of each fare, the latter decision was taken.
A4.118 It was also the case that rolling out the scheme to the whole of Kirklees would have incurred a considerable cost in terms of delivery and administration; whilst this "cost" had previously been borne by the already-stretched Taxi Licensing Office, this would not have been sustainable in the context of an expanded scheme.
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