PART THREE - ‘INTERIM’ REQUIREMENTS FOR EXISTING RE-LICENSED VEHICLES

After the regulations come into force (see Part One), existing licensed vehicles can be re-licensed in the same or a different licensing area without having to comply with the regulations providing this is done within 28 days (until the year 2012).

However, the Government proposes that existing wheelchair accessible vehicles can be licensed again as regulated taxis after 28 days providing they have been adapted to meet certain minimum requirements.

Although the details have yet to be finalised these requirements are expected to be as follows;

• the vehicle was previously licensed as a taxi to carry a wheelchair,
• a swivel seat is fitted,
• a step is fitted (as per 3.3).
• The doorway must provide a minimum of 1170mm high and 680mm wide of unobstructed space as shown by the template at diagram 10. The minimum dimensions shown in diagram 10 allow for doorway curvature.
• The area required for the wheelchair must be at least 700mm x 1200mm with minimum headroom over the area of 1310mm.

The Government is proposing these interim regulations which will only apply to previously licensed vehicles until the year 2012, as a means of ensuring that existing wheelchair accessible vehicles can be ‘cascaded’ to other licensing areas even if the process of selling them on takes more than the 28 days allowed for in the Act. (See questionnaire C1-C5.)