The huge gulf in cost between saloon cars and accessible vehicles is being blamed by the trade for the lack of wheelchair taxis in Angus.
It comes after disabled people told how they are being left trapped in their homes after the number of wheelchair taxis in the region dropped to just seven.
There are no accessible vehicles in Monifieth and Sidlaw and only one serving Montrose and Brechin and a single car for all of Arbroath and Carnoustie.
There are five in Forfar and Kirriemuir.
A second-hand saloon car could cost as little as £1,000 to run as a taxi, while wheelchair accessible vehicles currently retail in the region of £20,000 to £30,000.
Both will attract the same income but the latter has an initial outlay which is too costly for many operators.
Angus Council has been warned any compulsory action to require all taxis to be wheelchair accessible could have significant cost implications to the trade and may need to be the subject of lengthy transitional arrangements, particularly in Angus, which has a significant number of drivers with one vehicle.
UK and Scottish ministers will be asked to unlock funds to reverse the situation when Arbroath East and Lunan Independent councillor Lois Speed brings a motion to full council in December.
Barry Ward of Coastal Cabs in Montrose has two saloon cars but said his long-term aim is to buy two more which are wheelchair accessible vehicles.
Mr Ward said he would welcome extra funding to purchase accessible vehicles but suggested one way to plug the gap would be for Angus Council to buy them and lease them back to taxi operators.
He said he had looked at purchasing a wheelchair accessible vehicle before starting the firm.
He said he was put off by the difference in cost and whether the demand would outweigh the supply.
Mr Ward said: “We have been receiving calls from disabled customers in the past year and we now want to address the shortage.
“Ideally I would like to add two wheelchair accessible taxis to the fleet and we would welcome additional funding to help with the cost.
“One way of addressing the shortage in Angus could be for the council to buy them and lease them to the operators with monthly payments and perhaps the option to eventually own the car.”
Neighbouring Dundee operates a mixed fleet of saloon cars and wheelchair accessible vehicles.
There is no significant unmet demand for taxis but those obtaining licences after April 2005 are restricted to using European Whole Volume Type Approval vehicles.
They tend to cost in the region of £20,000 to £30,000 and the most common example of this type is the “purpose built London taxi.”
In Aberdeen a controversial proposal to make all taxis wheelchair accessible was ditched by council chiefs until at least 2022.
A legal ruling dating back to 1994 had previously committed the local authority to implementing the policy by 2017.
