Allied Mobility checked 4 November 2026: 4-day minimum delivered, 1-day collection, up to 3 drivers, airport handover, licence + DVLA code documents, crash-tested check. Open Road Access checked same day: 1 day to 1 year, all-inclusive, up to 6 passengers, 4-6 weeks peak booking advice, standard licence.
How short can a hire be, and what does it include
Minimum periods differ. Allied Mobility offers short-term hire from four days when the vehicle is delivered to your home or another location, and from one day when you collect from its Glasgow or Coventry showrooms, with no upper duration limit. Open Road Access hires from a single day to a full year, with same-day delivery possible in some cases depending on availability. Both include insurance and breakdown cover: Allied Mobility covers up to three named drivers and provides a full vehicle demonstration on delivery, while Open Road Access describes its hire as all-inclusive, with delivery, collection, insurance and breakdown cover in the price and no price difference between vehicle sizes. Airport collection and drop-off on the UK mainland is available from Allied Mobility, which is useful for fly-drive holidays.
Short-term hire compared: Allied Mobility, from 4 days delivered or 1 day collected, insurance for up to 3 drivers, airport handover available; Open Road Access, from 1 day to 1 year, all-inclusive price with no size premium, up to 6 passengers beside the wheelchair user.
What you need to book, and what to check about the vehicle
Expect to provide, for every driver, a full name and address, pictures or scans of the front and back of the driving licence, and a DVLA code check; Allied Mobility confirms driver ages, licence length and endorsements at booking. Tell the provider your wheelchair's length, width and seated height, plus how many additional passengers will travel, so it can recommend a small, medium or large vehicle rather than leaving you to guess. Check whether the vehicle suits a wheelchair, powerchair or scooter: Allied Mobility notes it will check that a wheelchair is crash tested if you plan to travel seated in it, and that a scooter can be secured while you transfer to a fixed seat. No special licence is needed for passenger WAVs, since the adaptations are for passenger access rather than for the driver, but confirm that point with your provider if you are unsure.
When short-term hire beats buying, and when it does not
Hire wins for one-off needs: a holiday, a family occasion where the whole party travels together (Open Road Access vehicles carry up to six passengers alongside the wheelchair user), a period while your own vehicle is being adapted, or a trial before committing to a purchase. For longer needs, monthly rates usually beat daily rates, and providers offer tailored prices for hires of a month or more. Book 4 to 6 weeks ahead for peak periods such as Christmas, Easter and summer holidays, when choice is tightest; for ordinary weeks, a week's notice is usually enough and last-minute availability often exists. Hire stops making sense when the need becomes permanent and the monthly cost approaches a lease or purchase payment, at which point ask the provider about its Motability and purchase options instead.
