COUNCIL bosses have come under fire after announcing changes to a concessionary travel scheme.
Darlington Borough Council's taxi vouchers initiative gives £50-worth of coupons to pensioners and disabled people who face difficulty travelling. They can be used for trips in wheelchair-accessible taxis but the authority says there are not enough such vehicles.
Plans have been drawn up to change the scheme so that disabled people, anyone over the age of 75 and anyone in a care home can use the coupons in any kind of taxi.
But Alex Leighton, of Darlington Taxi Owners' Association, told Darlington Transport Forum: "The last three people who bought special wheelchair-accessible vehicles all ran into difficulties."
He said the borough council refused to approve cheaper wheelchair-friendly cars that were widely used throughout Europe.
Forum chairman, Councillor Nick Wallis, insisted that the present policy was a genuine attempt to help people
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