Dumfries and Galloway Council has created an extra licensing zone exclusively for wheelchair-accessible taxis, aiming to grow a fleet that had just three WAVs when officers last counted the numbers.
The Enabling and Customer Services Committee agreed the package on 19 March 2026. Councillors kept the existing two-zone set-up — the Dumfries Trading Zone and the rest of the region — and left the Dumfries taxi plate cap at 70. Alongside that, they opened a new region-wide zone so a licensed wheelchair-accessible taxi can work anywhere in Dumfries and Galloway, including inside the busy Dumfries zone.
Why the council acted
A commissioned unmet-demand survey found accessible provision was critically thin. Council figures for January 2026 showed 185 licensed taxis and 60 private hire vehicles, but only three wheelchair-accessible vehicles across the combined fleet — about 1.2%. Taxi numbers had fallen from 215 in December 2023, while private hire rose from 50 to 60, and the WAV count stayed stuck at three.
Wheelchair users were estimated to make up around 4% to 5% of taxi and private hire demand, with many journeys suppressed because a suitable vehicle was not available. Most WAV trips that do happen are pre-booked. Modelling suggested that if new licences were limited to accessible vehicles, the region would need another 26 WAVs — 19 outside Dumfries and seven inside the trading zone — though officers called that target highly unrealistic given purchase, repair and operating costs.
The Dumfries cap itself dates back to 1986. In early 2026 there were still about 37 people on the waiting list for a green plate in that zone. The new WAV zone is designed to let accessible operators into the busy Dumfries market without lifting the general 70-vehicle limit.
Fees, lobbying and what happens next
To sweeten the deal for operators, the committee cut WAV licensing fees to £230 for a new licence or renewal and £65 for a vehicle substitution. Members also agreed to lobby the Scottish and UK governments for financial help with buying and maintaining accessible vehicles, and for wider support for taxi and private hire operators in rural areas.
Committee chair Councillor John Campbell said accessibility and taxi availability matter across the region, and that members had weighed the evidence carefully. He described the new zone as a significant step intended to get more wheelchair-accessible vehicles on the road while keeping the existing zone arrangements in place.
Implementation was still progressing months later. A September 2026 council update confirmed the decision was being carried through, and local reporting has highlighted how limited WAV cover forces wheelchair users to book well ahead. The policy change does not by itself put extra accessible taxis on the street — that still depends on operators investing in the vehicles.
On the same agenda, councillors also agreed a separate taxi fare review: a 10% rise in mileage rates, a £2 unsocial-hours premium and a 50% uplift for five or more passengers, due to take effect from 1 June 2026 unless objections delayed it.