Taxicard

The Taxicard scheme gives London residents with serious permanent mobility problems and those who are severely sight-impaired subsidised rides in licensed black taxis and private hire vehicles.

The scheme enables people who have difficulty in using public transport to get out and about.

Taxicard users can travel when and where they want, providing the journey starts and finishes in the Greater London area, thereby increasing their independence and mobility. The scheme offers a 24-hour service, 365 days a year subject to the availability of taxis.

This is a membership-based scheme and the number of rides assigned to an individual is dependent upon the extent of their mobility and sight impairment.

Taxis can be requested by phone call to the contractor’s call centre, hailed on the street or at taxi ranks.

Please note that not all black taxis participate in the Taxicard scheme. Those that do have the ‘roundel’ image (shown above), displayed on the vehicle.

How do I join the scheme?

Taxicard is a London-wide scheme, but not all boroughs participate. To join the scheme, you must apply to the borough in which you are permanently resident.

To join the London Borough of Camden’s Taxicard scheme you need to complete an application form which you can get by telephoning the accessible transport service

Alternatively you can download an application form or request a form online

Please note that you will need to provide proof of permanent residence in Camden.

If you have asked the accessible transport service to send you an application form, then please allow reasonable time the documents to arrive in the post.

Eligibility

You should only apply if you live permanently in the London Borough of Camden and meet the criteria outlined below. Applicants may qualify automatically if they receive:

• the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance
• War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement
• they are registered blind or partially sighted or have a BD8/CVI certificate.

Applicants who do not qualify automatically can also apply if they have long term mobility problems that prevent them from being able to use public transport. In such cases applicants may be invited to a mobility assessment with one of the council’s occupational therapists. Please note that temporary conditions, such as a broken leg, will not qualify someone for a Taxicard.

Cost to user

There is a £10 annual membership fee for the Taxicard scheme and you must provide two passport-sized photographs with your application form.

The table below shows the breakdown of the cost of the fare.

For taxis booked through the contractor's call centre, please note that the taxi meter starts running when the driver accepts the booking and not when you get into the taxi. Whatever distance the taxi travels in order to pick you up, the maximum ‘run-in’ charge is £3.40. That is the charge on the meter.

If members are concerned about the fare, we advise them to contact the contractor before their journey and get an indication of the likely cost. It is important to remember that Taxicard journeys can be expensive if you travel a long distance. Because taxi fares are determined by a combination of distance and time, it is not possible for the contractor to give you the exact cost of a trip, only an estimate.

Stagecoaching

Stagecoaching allows Taxicard members to swipe their cards twice during a journey instead of once. This means that they can use two trip allocations instead of one for a single journey.

A stagecoached journey will involve members paying a flat fee of £5 for a maximum of £27.60 (subject to the time of day) on the meter. However cardholders:

• can only use two trips for each stagecoached journey and no more
• for the stagecoached journey you must book through the contractor’s call centre and cannot hail a taxi on the street or from a taxi rank
• must ensure that they have at least four trips left before they make the outward journey – two for the outward journey and another two for the return journey.

The table below shows the breakdown of the fares for a stagecoached journey.

Members who do take advantage of the stagecoaching facility must ensure that they have enough money to pay for the trips.

Where can I travel?

Members can travel to any destination within the Greater London area.

• map showing the travel boundaries (City of London website)

Taxicard renewal

The Taxicard membership card does not have an expiry date. However every couple of years, members of the scheme are required to renew their membership by completing a renewal application form. The renewal process enables us to establish if existing members of the scheme are still eligible.

The renewal application form will be sent to all members of the scheme. The form needs to be completed and returned to the accessible transport service with the necessary proofs.

Contact us

You can get more information about the Taxicard scheme by contacting the passenger and accessible transport service