Cab drivers in Basildon have won an award for helping disabled customers.

The town's Quality Taxi Partnership has been given the Customer Service Award by the national disability network, Radar. Judges praised the council-led partnership's work in improving access to a service which meets the needs of the disabled community.

Cabbie Ralph Morgan said: "Taxis are often an undervalued part of the transport network, despite the flexibility they offer." Sarah Stirling, 90, of Bridge Street, Basildon, depends on taxis. She said: "I'm partially sighted and need a wheelchair, so they are the only chance I have to get out and do everyday things like shopping."

Castle Point taxi drivers have been officially thanked by the council for taking part in a special scheme.

All drivers with wheelchair accessible vehicles were able to take a one-day course, funded by the council, to train them to help physically disabled passengers. The council is the first in Essex to fund this type of training. The course also focused on people with hidden disabilities such as deafness, children with special educational needs and vulnerable elderly people with illnesses such as dementia. Laws relating to the disabled, like the Disability discrimination Act, were also covered by the course.

Having completed the training, the drivers were invited into the council offices to receive their certificates from mayor Godfrey Isaacs who enjoyed a light lunch with the drivers in his chamber afterwards. Castle Point council's licensing committee, said: "Taxi drivers provide an essential service to the community, particularly disabled people and the most vulnerable in our community. "It is important that drivers fully understand people's different needs. "I would like to thank these drivers for taking part and developing their skills. "Hopefully more taxi drivers will take up this opportunity soon."

The training day was run by the Safety First Organisation.

Castle Point District Council are working together with the taxi drivers to look after the elderly and vulnerable residents by giving special training to the drivers.

When completed, Castle Point will be one of the first boroughs in the country to have given all taxi drivers training with wheelchair accessible vehicles.

The council funded this one-day course, which is designed to make drivers more aware of disabled people's needs. The course focuses on physically disabled people, hidden disabilities, children with special educational needs and vulnerable elderly people with illnesses such as dementia.

Norman Bambridge, who is one of the committee members for licensing in Castle Point, said: "I am very pleased to see so many drivers attending this course. There has been very lively and open discussions, regarding how we interpret legislation covering health and safety for the disabled of Castle Point".

The Safety First Organisation's chief executive officer, Richard Robinson, said: "Wheelchairs - because of their design and their construction - can be difficult to transport if the service provider is untrained to provided this service. "Transporting people in the wrong way can be dangerous and even lethal. "That is why it is so important taxi drivers know what they are doing. "Full marks go to Castle Point for providing exemplary planning in this area of disability awareness training."