Taxi information in braille from today

All taxis will have to display important passenger information in braille from today.

The Land Transport Operator Licensing Rule which came into force today means all taxis must have a braille sign with the name of the taxi company, the cab's fleet number and the taxi company's contact phone number for complaints.

The braille sign will be inside the front passenger door to the left of centre, under the window.

Royal NZ Foundation of the Blind's chief executive Sandra Budd said today that many of its members relied on taxis as a means of transport.

"So it's crucial and only fair that they have the same information as sighted people to ensure quality service and security."

Less than 5 per cent of print information worldwide was available in formats that blind and vision-impaired people could access, Ms Budd said.

"We hope that braille in taxis is the start of a new era in making more public information accessible."

New Zealand Transport Agency national manager for commercial road transport John Doesburg said it was important all passengers had access to information identifying the cab they were using.

The braille in taxis legislation followed the announcement last month that the Government was to begin the process of ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Ms Budd said the convention was all about promoting equity for all disabled people.

- NZPA