Thank you for constituents who have contacted me in the
past few weeks about national minimum standards for drivers and operators of
taxis and private hire vehicles.
I am glad that Department for Transport’s recent response
to the Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) Working Group rightly recognised
that there should be a requirement for all taxi and minicab drivers to undertake
disability equality training, in the forthcoming legislation to introduce a
minimum standards framework.
I share their disappointment that this legislation, like
many other important ones, are not being given time for debate and passage in
Parliament. Constituents will of course be aware that recent events in
Parliament has prevented the Government from scheduling and moving bills
forward for consideration by MPs.
This is most regrettable as it has been more than three
years since the vote to leave and yet we are still debating whether or not we
should seek an extension.
Once we deliver Brexit on the 31 October it will free up
legislative time to consider bills such as this to enable drivers to understand
the rights and needs of passengers, especially disabled people.
I am confident that the Government will bring forward a
sensible timeframe for the bill in good time once we get through the current
Brexit impasse. If that is not the case constituents are more than welcome to
write to me again and I will be more than happy to raise this on their behalf.
