Hackney Carriage/Private Hire driver application for medical exemption certificate

Licensed taxi and private hire drivers have statutory duties to carry assistance dogs (at all times) and carry people in wheelchairs (if they drive a wheelchair accessible vehicle). 

Failing to comply with these duties is an offence unless the licensed driver has an exemption certificate issued by Cheltenham Borough Council.

Apply for a medical exemption certificate.  For the policy and policy relating to medical exemptions, please refer to appendix P of our licensing policy.

Description of duties

Carrying people in a wheelchair

The duties placed on a licensed driver who drives a wheelchair accessible vehicle are:

  1. to carry the passenger while in the wheelchair;
  2. not to make any additional charge for doing so;
  3. if the passenger chooses to sit in a passenger seat, to carry the wheelchair;
  4. to take such steps as are necessary to ensure that the passenger is carried in safety and reasonable comfort;
  5. to give the passenger such mobility assistance as is reasonably required.


Mobility assistance is assistance:

  1. to enable the passenger to get into or out of the vehicle;
  2. if the passenger wishes to remain in the wheelchair, to enable the passenger to get into and out of the vehicle while in the wheelchair;
  3. to load the passenger's luggage into or out of the vehicle;
  4. if the passenger does not wish to remain in the wheelchair, to load the wheelchair into or out of the vehicle.

Carry assistance dogs

This section imposes duties on the driver of a taxi which has been hired:

  1. by or for a disabled person who is accompanied by an assistance dog, or
  2. by another person who wishes to be accompanied by a disabled person with an assistance dog.


The driver must:

  1. carry the disabled person's assistance dog and allow the dog to remain with that person;
  2. not make any additional charge for doing so.