Taxi Driver Online

Taxi driver banned after swearing at blind man at Warrington Central and refusing fare


A ROGUE taxi driver who swore at a blind man and refused to take him in his car has had his licence thrown out.

The driver was issued with a ban at a taxi licensing meeting on Monday for discriminating against Edward Green, from Birchwood, because he has a guide dog.

Mr Green, who is registered blind and has severe myopia, was refused a ride outside Warrington Central station on September 12 when he was making his way to Remploy in Mersey Street with his golden retriever Macca.

Another driver from Direct Taxis then came to Mr Green’s aid and made a note of the offending private hackney carriage driver's licence plate.

But the banned taxi driver has not been identified following Warrington Borough Council's closed meeting.

Mr Green, aged 29, said: "At the time I felt upset and angry. It felt like my confidence and independence had been taken away by one driver.

"It's a good outcome. I feel a bit better because the council has done something about the driver and it helps the other taxi drivers in Warrington because it sends out a clear message that this sort of thing will not be tolerated."

The law states that taxi drivers cannot discriminate on grounds of disability.

Penny Williams, engagement officer for Guide Dogs for the Blind, said: "Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident.

"Taxis remain the service which cause the highest number of issues of this nature for our guide dog owners.

"As visually impaired people are so reliant upon taxi services, being refused access to a taxi is an extremely distressing ordeal.

"We are very pleased that Warrington Borough Council's licensing team has been so helpful in resolving this case for our guide dog owner and are hopeful that this will not happen again in the borough."

A spokesman for Warrington Borough Council added: “We can confirm a decision was taken at a recent hearing to revoke the licence of a driver who refused to take a person with a guide dog.

"The licensing authority is committed to working with responsible drivers so that people can use taxis with confidence. Our policy does not allow for any form of discrimination and we treat such matters seriously.”

source: http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/new ... sing_fare/

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