CLAIMS that Bury Council has no plans in place to deal with a law change supporting disabled taxi users have been refuted.

Disability activists said last week that Bury is one of eight local authorities in the North West which has no plans to create a list of wheelchair accessible taxis, known as a Section 167 list.

A change in the Equality Act enacted in April this year means that taxi drivers face a fine of up to £1,000 if they refuse to transport wheelchair users or attempt to charge them extra — but the law only applies to drivers registered on such a list.

However, the council has denied the activists’ accusations and says it does have a Section 167 list and that its policy is that all taxis are wheelchair accessible.

A spokesman said: “Contrary to the claims made in the story, we do have a ‘Section 167 list’.

“While this is not yet available online, it is available to inspect at the town hall and at Knowsley Place, and we will happily email a list to anyone who wishes a copy.

“Regardless of any list, it has long been Bury Council’s policy that ALL taxis — Hackney or ‘black’ cabs — are wheelchair accessible.

“There are also a number of private hire vehicles — those which must be booked in advance — in Bury which are wheelchair compliant, and we have a list of those too.”

The other seven councils identified by the disability activists were South Lakeland, Blackburn with Darwen, Oldham, Rochdale, Tameside, Cheshire East and Halton.

Doug Paulley, who had conducted Freedom of Information research with all councils in England, Scotland and Wales, said that the councils’ failures meant that ‘taxi drivers can continue to discriminate against wheelchair users with impunity’.