DISABLED taxi passengers in Inverclyde won’t be able to take advantage of a new equality law until next year — because the council is set to miss a deadline.

Only eight of 32 Scottish councils are expecting to comply with the government-recommended October date to ensure equal treatment for disabled passengers, according to research by Muscular Dystrophy UK.

The Equality Act, introduced in April this year, means taxi drivers face a fine of up to £1,000 if they refuse to transport wheelchair users or attempt to charge them extra.

However, the law applies only to drivers who are registered on council lists of wheelchair accessible taxis, known as Section 167 lists.

Perth and Kinross Council is the only council in Scotland to have completed a list, with a further seven expecting to meet the deadline before October.

Inverclyde is one of six planning to produce a list, but with no specified deadline.

Nic Bungay, of Muscular Dystrophy UK, which lobbied for years for the law change, pointed out that taxis are not a luxury for disabled people.

He said: “They often represent the only way to get from A to B when public transport isn’t accessible. Research comprehensively demonstrates how many councils are failing to ensure that disabled passengers are not penalised.

“We need them all to implement lists now as per the government’s recommendations, and for the Department for Transport to promote the lists as a matter of urgency.”

Inverclyde Council issue licences to taxi drivers who are self-employed and choose where and when to work.

It’s understood the major taxi operators in Inverclyde say less than one per cent of calls they receive each month are for a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV), and that nearly 10 per cent of their fleet are WAVs.

A council spokesman said: “We take our responsibilities around the provision of wheelchair accessible taxis very seriously, and have been holding very constructive discussions with local operators for some time.

“Unlike many other councils, we are currently collating information about vehicles and drivers. Once completed — by the end of the year — we will be publishing details on our website.”