Wheelchair Accessible Taxis in Southampton: How Booking, Ramps and Space Work

How the Vehicle Works: Ramps, Lifts and Space

Two boarding set-ups are in the fleet, and we will tell you which one is coming when you book. Some vehicles use a side ramp, so the chair rolls straight in from the pavement. Others use a rear tail lift with an electric hoist, which suits powered chairs and anyone who would rather not manage a slope. A transfer board can be fitted on request for passengers who move across into a seat.

Once aboard, the chair is held by four point tie down restraints with a lap belt for the passenger. That is the proper way to carry a wheelchair, and it is why one wheelchair travels per vehicle: the chair needs the tie downs and the ramp needs room to work, and neither gets compromised to squeeze more in. Most scooters and rollators travel too. Luggage space is smaller than in a standard car because the chair occupies it, so tell us what you are bringing and we will plan around it.

• One wheelchair per vehicle, plus up to three other passengers alongside
• Side ramp or rear tail lift with an electric hoist, confirmed when you book
• Four point tie down restraints and a lap belt on every journey
• Powered and manual wheelchairs carried, plus most scooters and rollators
• Drivers trained in passenger transfer, chair securement and assisted boarding

Do You Need to Book in Advance?

Booking ahead is the single best thing you can do, and at least 24 hours ahead where you can. Accessible vehicles are a smaller part of the fleet, so advance booking lets us allocate the right one to your journey instead of adapting on the day. Same day requests can usually be helped, and the service runs 24 hours a day including weekends and bank holidays, but a confirmed booking is far safer when the journey matters, such as a hospital appointment or a flight.

When you book, a few details make the difference: whether your chair is powered or manual, whether you stay in the chair or transfer to a seat, how many people are coming with you, and anything the driver should know about helping at the door. Give us those once and repeat bookings, such as a course of appointments, can be set up on an account so each one takes a short call.

The Journeys People Book Most

Hospital appointments lead the list: Southampton General, the Princess Anne and community hospitals across Hampshire, often as a regular run for dialysis, clinics and scans. The driver's help with the ramp and with securing the chair is part of the service, and there is no rush at either end. Airport journeys come next. A wheelchair accessible taxi to Southampton Airport runs with the same flight tracking as every airport pickup, and meet and greet is available on request if you want the driver inside the terminal.

The town level demand tells its own story. We take accessible bookings across Southampton and the surrounding towns, Hedge End, Eastleigh, Romsey, Totton, Locks Heath and Lyndhurst among them, for shopping, family visits, day trips and the ordinary journeys that keep life moving. If you can walk but cannot manage steps or a standard car door, say so when you book: this vehicle is often the right answer for you too.

What It Costs, and What Is Included

Accessible journeys are priced according to your specific requirements, so there is no set or minimum fare we can publish. The price is confirmed before you travel once we know the journey and the set-up you need, and the driver's help with boarding and securing the chair is included in the fare at no extra charge. Payment is by card or cash, and regular NHS and care bookings can be invoiced.

What you are paying for, beyond the miles, is certainty: the right vehicle, a driver who knows how to help, and enough time at both ends.