Lewisham councillor and Disabled People's Champion Maria McKenna was left in tears after waiting over 90 minutes for a taxi that was unsuitable for her mobility needs, forcing her to wheel herself home in temperatures exceeding 30°C. The journey, which should have taken 11 minutes by taxi, took over an hour in her electronic wheelchair.
Taxicard booking fails
On July 29, Cllr McKenna attended council business and used the Taxicard scheme to book an accessible journey home. The scheme, operated by London Councils, provides subsidised door-to-door journeys in licensed taxis and private hire vehicles for disabled and mobility-impaired Londoners who cannot easily or safely use public transport.
Cllr McKenna's Taxicard profile clearly states she requires a wheelchair-accessible black cab. However, she waited an hour and 40 minutes in the heat without being allocated suitable transport. During this time, she received repeated automated calls asking if she still needed the booking, and she experienced poor customer service when trying to resolve the issue.
Unsuitable vehicle and no alternatives
Eventually, an Addison Lee vehicle arrived, but it was not suitable for her wheelchair. She also attempted to book via Uber Access, but no accessible vehicles were available. Feeling ill and desperate to get home, Cllr McKenna decided to push herself home in her wheelchair.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), she said: "If it's happened to me, how many other thousands of people has this happened to? How many people have got even less of a voice than what I had? There's a lot of elderly, there's a lot of people who are a lot more vulnerable than me."
London Councils responds
A spokesperson for London Councils expressed concern about Cllr McKenna's experience. The scheme provides more than 10,000 journeys every week. Following an investigation by ComCab London, the vehicle provider, it was determined that an administrative error on Cllr McKenna's account led to the incorrect vehicle booking. ComCab has apologised and worked with Cllr McKenna to resolve the issue. The spokesperson assured that she received a high standard of customer service throughout.
However, Cllr McKenna highlighted past issues, including longer waits, cancellations, difficulty securing accessible transport, poor customer service, and barriers to independent travel. She added: "It's not just Taxicard, it's accessibility for the whole of London, I've had it with trains, buses and the Underground when it says it's accessible but it's clearly not. Now I'm a Disabled People's Champion, I need to use my voice for the people of London."
Mayor demands answers
Mayor of Lewisham, Liam Shrivastava, said: "Disabled Londoners should be able to rely on a transport service that is safe, accessible and respectful. What happened to Cllr McKenna is deeply concerning, but my concern extends beyond one individual case. Cllr McKenna had clearly recorded accessibility requirements, yet still found herself unable to secure suitable transport home after carrying out public duties. That raises important questions about how the scheme is operating and whether enough wheelchair-accessible vehicles are available to meet demand."
Mayor Shrivastava has urged Cllr Paul Osborn, Chair of London Councils' Transport and Environment Committee, to provide more information on Taxicard's performance, including waiting times, cancellations, and complaints. He has also called for consideration of a wider review of the scheme to ensure disabled Londoners are not left without appropriate transport.
A London Councils spokesperson confirmed that ComCab London has provided the requested information and will continue to supply further details as needed.
