I have serious concerns about disabled access to taxis in Brighton and Hove.

I have tried, on many occasions over seven years, to order a taxi which is happy to transport a person in a wheelchair, with little success.

It would seem there is a wilful policy of refusing disabled customers. It is disheartening that the most needy of customers are discriminated against.

On the rare occasion a taxi is available, the driver is downcast and makes it abundantly clear that the process of securing the ramp and seatbelt is an onerous burden.

It seems impossible to book a wheelchair taxi in Brighton and Hove.

In desperation, I contacted a company in Shoreham who were helpful and said they were snowed under with requests for wheelchair taxis from the Brighton area.

Unfortunately, they had to charge the cost of driving from Shoreham, which made the fare prohibitively expensive.

This can mean the disabled are trapped, housebound and effectively imprisoned by lack of transport.

The Hackney Licensing Officer for Brighton told me that of the 60 available hackney carriage taxis, 55 had independent licences and did not operate through a company so they could only be used at taxi ranks.

Can't the council make wheelchair-friendly taxis more widely available to the people who need them most?

Trying to live a useful, independent and productive life in the confines of a wheelchair is always a challenge.

This taxi conundrum is another piece of shrapnel in the minefield.

-Name and address supplied