Why Taxi Firms Need Disability Mobility Car Options

When running any business, the goal is always to expand your reach to as many potential customers or clients as possible. But those running a taxi business already reach just about every person – across income levels – in the UK today. Well, almost. There are still many areas of the UK without sufficient taxis that are wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs). So if you’re running a taxi firm, or are a taxi driver, we’re here to tell you why you need disability mobility car options.

First of all, it’s a way to diversify and reach a whole new market of people without compromising your current market. A mobility car is just a car with space and features to accommodate a passenger in a wheelchair. Therefore, that car can still ferry about people who don’t use wheelchairs; with the additional bonus of being able to transport wheelchair users. But is that worth additional investment? Well let’s consult the figures. In the UK today, there are approximately 1.2 million wheelchair users. That approximates to around about 2% of the UK population – so 1 in 50 people. This is quite a sizeable market to be ignoring. Then you also have to consider those who are travelling with wheelchair users. They will have friends and family who are going out with them to places. If you do not offer wheelchair mobility vehicles, you also risk losing the patronage of these individuals. If they are regularly travelling with wheelchair users, they will be more likely to become familiar with competitors offering more inclusive services. They will also share the frustrations of their wheelchair-using friends and may decide to boycott certain companies who are, in turn, boycotting their friends. So even when it comes time to travelling without a disabled friend or family member, they will be less likely to use your service.

Another good reason is what we touched upon above – the fact that offering disabled mobility cars will improve your reputation. More and more people in the UK today are becoming exposed to the stories of those who deal with disabilities in our societies. Discrimination of disabled people is a big issue in the UK today and often comes up in parliamentary discussions and political debates. By having a WAV or WAVs in your fleet, you are sending out a message that your company is mindful of disabled people and those who are differently abled. Lastly, to bring both of these two aforementioned benefits together, one of the most difficult things for wheelchair users to do is to use public transport. For example, buses and bus networks are arguably the most conspicuous examples of public transport in the UK today. However, bus stops may not be suitable for wheelchair users as they may still transport them to a point that is quite far from their destination. A taxi, on the other hand, can take them straight to the door of their destination. So wheelchair users are going to be more in favour of being transported in disability mobility car than a bus – meaning they are more likely to use your service over a bus. This makes them potentially loyal customers to your firm.

So if you run taxis or you are a taxi driver looking for a new car, consider purchasing a disability mobility car. You can easily find them in or around your area from suppliers of mobility vehicles.