Cost and pricing

• Cost and pricing was a common theme raised by those commenting, with many specifically voicing frustrations with the pricing of wheelchair accessible taxis, particularly towards the private hire companies’ WATs which were felt to be much more expensive than a non-wheelchair accessible taxi
• Some also recognised that government owned service, Portsmouth Hackney, did not charge a higher price
• Further cost-related complaints concerned bus prices, with some voicing that it would be cheaper to take the car or a taxi than bus when travelling in groups larger than two
• Several comparisons were made to the cheaper bus travel seen in European countries, with FirstBus also frequently being described as far too expensive especially when compared to Stage Coach

“They’re twice as expensive to hire as a normal taxi. Why should disabled people have to pay more to travel just because they need a larger taxi?”

“It’s rather expensive a trip to hospital and you’re talking about 30 pounds return and that’s if you’re lucky to get wheelchair taxi.”

“If it’s a Portsmouth Hackney carriage the fares are the same on all of them it’s only private hire companies that charge more hackneys are governed by the council.”

“The buses in Portsmouth are very expensive. Like what they do in Hong Kong. 50p to go any distance and lots of busses with very few cars.”