Taxi Driver Online

Rude cabbie refused ride to blind Brighton pensioner

Thursday 19th July 2012

Council bosses are hunting for a rogue taxi driver after a blind pensioner claimed he was refused a ride home because he had a guide dog.

Roger South said he was left stranded in the wet and cold by a rude cab driver in Marine Parade, Brighton.

The 69-year-old, who is completely blind, partially deaf and relies on his 11-year-old Labrador Amos to get around, said he was “very shaken” by the incident.

Mr South had enjoyed a drink with his wife Pam at the Amsterdam Hotel when reception staff called for a taxi to take the elderly couple to their home in Bonchurch Road, Brighton, on Tuesday.

But when the car arrived, Mr South claimed the driver took one look at Amos the guide dog and rudely told them to look for another cab.

Mr South said: “He just said over and over again that he didn’t take dogs.

"The rules and regulations are very clear – guide dogs cannot be refused unless there are special circumstances."
Andy Cheesman, Brighton and Hove Taxi Forum

“Even when the hotel receptionist told him he had to, he still refused.

“I was so angry and very shaken."

“He should not be allowed to get away with it.”

Legal requirement

By law taxi drivers cannot refuse to carry guide dogs |unless they have a medical condition.

In October 2009 a driver was suspended after refusing to carry a passenger with a guide dog from Brighton station.

Mr and Mrs South complained about the incident to Brighton and Hove City Council , which confirmed it would look into what had happened.

A council spokeswoman said: “We have received a complaint which has been allocated to an officer to investigate.

“All taxis must carry assistance dogs unless the driver is exempt on medical grounds but there may be other grounds for not taking the passenger, such as if the journey ends outside the district.”

Andy Cheesman, from the Brighton and Hove Taxi Forum, said most drivers in the city were happy to carry guide dogs.

He said: “The rules and regulations are very clear – guide dogs cannot be refused unless there are special circumstances.

“All drivers should respect that and we would expect everyone to adhere to those rules.

“In this case it looks like a rogue driver may not have done that but the vast majority certainly do.”

Source; http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/9826737. ... pensioner/

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

Maybe it was the "Wet" part that the driver took a Dislike to...Wrong or not there's no one likes a Wet Dog in their car.

Still, By law he should have taken them without a fuss.

As the couple had been in the hotel, I doubt that the dog was wet. Maybe it was a saloon private hire car and not a hackney. In which case the office should have a record of who they sent.

_________________
Grandad,

Whatever it was if it was pre-booked it will take less than 5 minutes to suss out the mush.

And if it happened in a years time it would defo be on CCTV.

_________________
IDFIMH