West Sussex taxis

Taxi travel overview  

West Sussex has a mixture of licenced taxi cabs and private hire mini cab companies. 

Some operators have wheelchair-accessible vehicles which consist of people carriers, minibuses, or adapted vans. As many wheelchairs-accessible vehicles are used during school drop-off and pick-up times, it is always best to pre-book travel if you have accessibility requirements.

A 2022 amendment to the Equality Act has passed a duty for local authorities to identify wheelchair-accessible vehicles in the taxi fleets they licence. Check your local authority information on the relevant council or borough website.

Accessible Taxi Companies

Adur and Worthing 

• T-Link (Adur) Contact: 01273 59 59 59                     
• Arrow Private Hire Contact: 01903 21 21 21
• Zoom Worthing Contact: 01903 333 333             
• Arrow Private Hire Contact: 01903 21 21 21

You can find further accessible taxi information on the Adur and Worthing Councils website.

Chichester 

Alfa Taxi Group Contact: 07888 239 287       

Crawley

Star Cars Contact: 01293 369 469

Horsham      

Wheel’s Airport Taxis Contact: 01293 397 2023 

Billingshurst   

Jakes Cars Contact: 01403 786 818   

Planning a journey

West Sussex has designated taxi ranks. Check with your taxi operator when booking to make sure they can accommodate your needs. 

Wheelchair-accessible vehicles have undergone a rigorous process to ensure adaptations meet regulations. However, accessibility will vary according to the vehicle.

Taxi and private hires are obliged to carry assistance dogs at no extra charge.

Keeping safe when travelling

Wheelchair-accessible taxis may have a ramp or a passenger lift to assist the wheelchair user with getting into the vehicle, which is far easier than transferring from a wheelchair to a car seat and dismantling the wheelchair for the journey. 

As wheelchairs are carefully designed to support a disabled person, wheelchair-accessible taxis allow disabled people to stay in the position that is best for their body and posture.

Wheelchair-accessible taxis must also be equipped to secure the wheelchair when the cab is in motion. Seat belts or lap belts should be available to keep the wheelchair user steady.

It is always recommended to book a taxi in advance.

Operator obligations

Under the Equality Act 2010, operators have a legal duty to carry a disabled passenger and provide mobility assistance without making an additional charge. 

They can only refuse to carry a disabled passenger if there is a valid safety concern – or if passengers have a medical exemption or condition that makes it impossible for a driver to comply with the above. 

Taxi drivers can be fined up to £1000 for refusing to comply. If you have felt discriminated against by a taxi driver you can complain to your Local Authority Licensing department.