Blind woman takes 'taxi' chief to court over 'guide dog snub'
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'Refused': Toni Forrest and guide dog William, whose hairs are said to have upset other taxi passengers
A taxi firm boss is being hauled before court in a landmark discrimination case after a blind woman claimed he refused to let her board his cab with her guide dog.
Mustak Bhuta is being prosecuted under disability discrimination laws after Toni Forrest said he banned her from his taxis because of her five-year-old labrador William.
Other customers are said to have had objected to dog hairs in the taxis.
After a complaint from Miss Forrest, Bolton Council licensing department in Greater Manchester is taking action against Orlando Cars boss Bhuta, 46, in what is thought to be the first prosecution of its type.
Bhuta, of Deane, denies breaking section 37A of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, which makes it illegal for a private hire firm to refuse to carry guide dogs.
Magistrates were expected to hear his defence today but if found guilty he could face a fine of up to £1,000.
The incident occurred in October last year after Miss Forrest, 40, who had spent the day teaching braille as a volunteer at the Sensory Centre in Chorley Street, Bolton, rang Bhuta's firm for one of his private hire car to take her home.
Miss Forrest, who was registered blind at 21 after contracting encephalitis, said the taxi operator told her the firm would no longer be carrying her or her Labrador guide dog because drivers and other customers had complained about dog hairs.
Today she praised some of the firm's drivers for their kindness in the past and insisted she had initially offered to travel in the front seat with the dog on plastic bags.
She added: 'William is always clean and he never smells of anything. He's well looked after.
Miss Forest said she was stunned by the operator's announcement.
'I just apologised and I didn't know what to do. I hadn't realised there had been a problem. I had to get a black cab and it was more expensive. I felt quite upset and angry.'
She said: 'According to the rules a guide dog owner doesn't really have to tell the operator that they've got a guide dog when they're booking it.
'It's discrimination. I do feel that I'm being punished for being blind.'
The private taxi firm which is said to have refused to served Miss Forest
At an earlier hearing at Bolton Magistrates Court, Andrew Morris, prosecuting for the council, said Bhuta, when interviewed by licensing enforcement officer Duncan Peers, admitted taking the call from Miss Forrest.
Bhuta, who took over the operating licence for the firm in June 2007, claimed that he had only three drivers available when Miss Forrest called, two of whom he said were not acceptable to Miss Forrest and the third who refused the fare because he is allergic to dogs.
Miss Forrest denied refusing to use a driver.
Mr Peers told magistrates that in an interview with Bhuta, the defendant mentioned that customers and drivers had complained about dog hairs in the vehicle and that, if travelling in the front, the dog could lick the gear stick, which is unhygienic.
He also stated that on one occasion a driver had received a ticket for parking on double yellow lines while helping Miss Forrest into a building.
Mr Peers added that while drivers can be exempted from the obligation to carry guide dogs if they have medical proof that it could affect their health, Bolton Council has received no application for such an exemption.
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