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Taxi firm fined after discriminating against disabled customer
A taxi firm has been prosecuted after one of its staff refused to take the assistance dog of a blind customer in their cab.
A representative of Crown Cars pleaded guilty at Bedford Magistrates Court on Thursday, June 26, to the offence of refusing to accept a booking for a taxi because the disabled person, a blind man, would be accompanied by his assistance dog.
The incident was reported in March 2008 to the Licensing Authority at Bedford Borough Council.
The court heard that the firm, based in The Broadway, Bedford, refused to send a car to pick up the blind man from outside the offices of Sight Concern after insisting its actions were not discriminating against the disabled.
The court fined the company £250 and ordered it to pay a £15 victim surcharge and a payment of £250 towards the council's costs.
The maximum fine for this offence is £1,000, but in this case, the court took into account the company's early guilty plea.
Crown Cars controller Jawaid Akhtar entered a not guilty plea to the same charge and the hearing to his summons has been adjourned until August 22.
Keith Simmons, service manager of registration and administration for Bedford Borough Council said: "Licensing officers were very concerned that any of its licensed drivers could refuse to accept a hiring from a visually-impaired person simply because they were accompanied by a guide dog.
"This is unacceptable and I hope that this prosecution will send out this message to all licensed drivers."
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