I was sorry to read that Phil Friend was unable to obtain transport to the railway station after contacting several "taxi firms" in York (October 16).

Yet again the licensed taxi trade gets the blame when in fact the radio companies are virtually composed of private hire vehicles.

There is no legislation either at national or local level to make these vehicles wheelchair accessible. Here in York we have a good proportion of wheelchair cabs but they are not obliged to work in private hire firms.

Roy Templeman says he will be talking to "taxi companies."

He cannot make private hire vehicles become wheelchair-friendly.

He would be better employed circulating the details of the City of York Council-operated Freewheeler Vehicles (which are heavily subsidised by the York residents) or the York Wheels service of which the council is one of the trustees.

Both services are advertised as suitable for people with mobility problems.

I say to Phil Friend, please come back, you are missing the greatest city in the country.

Robert A Matthewman,

Moor Lane,

York.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.