In short
- Raise accessibility needs at the enquiry stage, not on the day. Vehicle allocation is the constraint, and it is decided in advance.
- Ask us to confirm in writing what we can provide for your specific date. We would rather do that than give a general assurance.
- Child seats are provided with notice and fitted correctly. Every passenger, including children, occupies a belted seat.
- Venues have their own accessible arrangements, and they differ by event. We plan around the venue's provision rather than assuming.
- Tell us about the walk, not just the vehicle. Drop-off distance often matters more than the car itself.
The most useful thing you can do is tell us early
Accessibility on a transfer booking is almost entirely a question of which vehicle gets allocated, and that decision is made when the job is scheduled rather than on the morning. A request made at the enquiry stage can usually be met. The same request made an hour before pick-up frequently cannot, not because anyone is unwilling but because the vehicle that would suit is already somewhere else.
So please raise it when you first get in touch, even if you are only asking for a price. It costs nothing to mention and it changes what we can offer.
What to tell us
The more specific, the better. Broad terms like 'limited mobility' cover a very wide range, and the right vehicle for one person is the wrong one for another.
- Whether a wheelchair or scooter travels, and whether the passenger transfers into a seat or stays in the chair
- The type and folded dimensions of any wheelchair, walker or scooter
- How far the passenger can comfortably walk, which affects where we set down
- Whether steps are manageable, since vehicle step heights vary considerably
- Whether a companion or carer travels, and whether they need to sit alongside
- Assistance dogs, which are welcome and need no special arrangement beyond knowing
- Any requirement for a quieter or calmer journey, which we can plan for
Ask us to confirm in writing what we can provide for your date and party. We would much rather answer your specific requirement precisely than have you rely on a general statement from a website.
The walk matters as much as the vehicle
This is the part most often overlooked. A vehicle someone can get into easily is of limited help if the drop-off point is four hundred metres from the entrance across a car park.
Several of the venues we serve have significant distances between where vehicles can stop and where the doors are, and some have terrain to go with it. Alexandra Palace sits at the top of a steep hill. Wembley Stadium concerts involve a long walk out to any collection point. Racecourses park on grass. Showgrounds have fields.
Where a venue operates its own accessible drop-off arrangements, we use them, and we check what applies for your specific event rather than assuming last year's arrangement still holds. Where it does not, we tell you honestly what the walk involves so you can decide.
Child seats
Children travelling in our vehicles occupy a belted seat like any other passenger, and appropriate child restraints are provided on request.
What we need to know
- The age, and ideally the height and weight, of each child
- How many seats are needed
- Whether you would prefer to fit your own, which is fine
Please ask at booking rather than on the day. Fitting a child seat correctly takes a few minutes and requires the right seat to be in the vehicle, which means it has to be planned rather than produced on request.
The law on child car seats in the UK is set nationally and changes from time to time. Rather than restate rules that may date, we will confirm what applies to your children and your journey when you book, and fit accordingly.
Booking on someone else's behalf
Very common, and entirely fine. A family member, carer, care home, school or employer can book, and the person travelling does not have to be the person paying or the person we correspond with.
What helps is nominating one contact who knows the requirements and can answer questions, and telling us who should receive the driver's name and registration before the journey. For a passenger travelling alone, knowing the driver's name and the vehicle in advance is often the part that matters most.
If we cannot meet a requirement
We will say so, promptly, rather than taking the booking and hoping. That is not a comfortable thing to write on a page intended to win business, but it is considerably better than the alternative, which is somebody stranded because a vehicle turned up that did not suit.
If we cannot help with a particular requirement on a particular date, we will tell you as early as we can so you have time to arrange something else. Where we can point you towards a specialist accessible transport provider who can, we will.