Euro-MP hails victory for disabled people and taxi manufacturers

12.30.59pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 5th Jun 2003

Liz Lynne visiting the Coventry-based factory of London Taxis International.

West Midlands Liberal Democrat Euro MP Liz Lynne has welcomed a commitment by Greater London Mayor Ken Livingstone to not lower standards on London's Hackney Carriages.

Liz wrote to the London Mayor on this issue after it was brought to her attention that he was being pressured to lower standards for London's taxis. This would have allowed cheap van conversions to be licensed instead of just purpose-built vehicles such as those built by Coventry-based London Taxis International and Tamworth-based Metrocab. As well as costing these two companies a significant number of sales, it could also have meant that current stringent rules guaranteeing disabled people's access in London's cabs would have been compromised.

Following personal reassurances to Liz in April however, Ken Livingstone has now announced the results of his review which ensure that high standards will be retained.

Liz commented:

"People with mobility problems have come to expect that any taxi they hail in the street will be accessible to them and I am pleased that Ken has not given into the pressure to have these rules relaxed."

"Of course, any company that manufactures a vehicle that meets these standards should be free to compete in an open market. But as the only two companies that currently meet these standards happen to be in the West Midlands, I am of course delighted that hundreds of jobs in the region will be secured.

"I only hope that more local authorities will now take their cue from London and adopt strict accessibility guidelines of their own."