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Taxicard

Taxicard Service Information

Added: 15 January 2009 | Updated: 23 August 2010

The London Taxicard Scheme is funded by 32 participating London boroughs and the Mayor of London, and it aims to provide door-to-door transport for people who have mobility impairments and difficulty in using public transport.

Unlike Dial-Ride however, Taxicard is a subsidised rather than a free service which allows Taxicard holders to make journeys in licensed London taxis 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, subject to taxi availability.

In order to be automatically eligible for the scheme you should be in reciept of the following:

If none of the automatic criteria above apply, you can still become a Taxicard member but you will be required to provide additional information about how your impairment affects your mobility. There are currently two different application forms being used in London. You can check which one is applicable to you on the application form section of the Taxicard website

When applying you will have to explain how your impairment(s) affect your mobility, ability to walk and use public transport.

If your borough uses the pink Taxicard form in PDF then you have the option of getting your GP to to stamp and sign the form as a form of ‘certification’

However if your borough uses the purple Taxicard form in PDF then you do NOT have that option and will have to provide a little more personal information.

If you cannot access the PDF application forms above then contact us and we will send you a paper copy.

What are the benefits?

The Taxicard scheme is subsidised by borough councils and the Mayor of London, which means you will pay considerably reduced fares. For most journeys you will pay a flat fare and your local authority will pay the balance. There are limits to how much your council will pay, however, and these limits vary depending upon the time of day, and upon which borough you are a resident of.

Top Tips!

Applying for a Taxicard is bit of a postcode lottery and which borough you live in determines how you are assessed and how many trips you are allocated.

Ensure that you are using the right form for your borough as your application may get returned if you do not. Please see the section above to get the right form.

Increasingly, many local boroughs are tightening up the Taxicard assessment process and this means it is imperative that you fill out the form carefully. List exactly what your impairments are, how you are disabled by inaccessible transport services, and what effect this has on your daily life.

Be candid and do not hold back! If you need more space then use extra sheets of paper.

In our experience the assessment process can be complicated if you have an impairment which results in ‘good days and bad days’ or is variable. Be careful how you word this on the application and how you explain it at any assesment.

Many boroughs now conduct Taxicard eligibility assessments carried out by Occupational Therapists. You may be invited to one where you will be asked questions about your impairments and how they prevent you from using public transport – as well as being monitored while you walk a certain distance.

You may also be asked how you have travelled to the assessment itself.

Do get in touch with TfA is you would like any assistance in the Taxicard Application process.

Making a booking:

The Taxicard Call Centre is based in Scotland and is generally good in answering calls quickly – although you may be kept on hold occasionally.

Your Trip:

All black cab operators who are in the Computer Cab fleet (the firm that operates the Taxicard system) are self-employed. This means that like Dial-A-Ride, Taxicard does not offer guaranteed trips.
In areas of London where black cab availability is good, then many people do use their Taxciard for appointments or to take them to the cinema or theatre. However there is always a risk that you may not get a cab at the time you have requested, so be prepared and leave in good time.
Also there is a 15 minute window either side of your booking time, so make sure that you are ready to travel 15 minutes before your pick up time. Otherwise the meter will be ticking!

A mobile phone.

Taxicard offers you a service that means you can be called to let you know when your cab as arrived. When you are out and about they can ring you on a mobile phone if you have one, to let you know your cab has arrived.

Double swiping (stagecoaching)

What is stagecoaching?

Stagecoaching allows you to use one extra swipe of your taxicard during a journey, making longer trips more affordable. This means you can use two journeys and two subsidies instead of one to reduce the fare you pay.

Not all boroughs allow stagecoaching. Below is the list that allows one additional double swipe. If your borough is not listed please do not ask driver to swipe your card again during a longer journey as they will not be able to do so.
Please note that the taxicard scheme never allows more than one additional swipe in any of these boroughs, so please do not ask the driver to swipe your Taxicard more than twice.
You will need to pay the driver a £3 minimum fare plus the excess fare for longer trips once the metered fare has exceeded the subsidy.

A driver should never swipe your taxicard twice without your consent. However if you feel that this might be the case, remember that your Taxicard only needs to be swipped at the beginning of the journeys, so when this done, always ask the driver to return the Taxicard to you. By keeping the Taxicard with you, you are in control of your journeys.

Keeping track of your trips
Calculate your remaining journeys for the year at any time, by going to www.taxicardbooking.com and log in.

Barking & Dagenham
Brent
Bromley
Camden
City of London
Ealing
Enfield
Greenwich
Hackney
Hammersmith & Fulham
Haringey
Hounslow
Islington
Kingston
Lambeth
Lewisham
Merton
Newham
Richmond
Southwark
Sutton
Tower Hamlets