Taxi Driver Online

Guide dog owners protest against ' taxi discrimination'


Hundreds of people who use guide dogs lobbied Parliament today - calling for tougher sentences for taxi and minicab drivers who illegally refuse to take the animals in their vehicles.

The charity Guide Dogs claims some are let off with a £50 fine and a warning, which they call "woefully inadequate".

Three out of four owners are being refused access to taxis, and we would just like the disability law strengthening. Because all we want is to have our rights and to be treated like everyone else. We've got our dogs, we've got our lives back, and that's what we would really like, all of us.

– Sue Brookes, campaigner

Under the Equality Act, it's illegal for taxis and minicabs not to let Sue and Conway in.

Refusals can lead to a driver having their licence removed and fines up of to £1000 pounds. But a report by the Guide Dog charity shows prosecutions are rare and some local authorities are fining as little as £50 pounds.

Campaigners hope today's meeting will help improve the situation.


You can watch a full report report below:

source: http://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2016-0 ... imination/

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

fills you with pride that in this day and age we have to read and watch this don't it

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Nathan the lad I did the blind walk with went to that one, he's at 56 seconds the lad with the blue coat on with the rucksack on his back who bends down to Hudson his guide dog.

Do local authorities have powers to fine drivers or is it just the courts?

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Grandad,

Courts

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

‘I’ve got a guide dog, taxi drivers won’t take me’



A BLIND man says taxi drivers regularly refuse to give him a ride – because he has a guide dog.

David Stewart has been left frustrated by drivers who have rejected his fare once they realise he has a dog with him.

The 47-year-old has joined a campaign to lobby Parliament to dish out

harsher penalties to those who turn away passengers.

David, from Lewisham said: “On several occasions I’ve been refused access to taxis and private hire cabs.

“When I phoned and made a booking I’ve been told they don’t carry guide dogs.

“I also have had a taxi turn up for me and then refuse to take me when they’ve realised I’ve got a guide dog.

“It makes me feel disheartened and frustrated.”

The Guide Dogs Charity are campaigning for harsher punishments and more

convictions for drivers who do not allow passengers with guide dogs to use their service. More than 100 guide dog owners visited Parliament on Tuesday.

The charity say they are angry that the fines imposed for drivers are no higher than those who dodge train fares or evade TV licences.

James White, senior campaigns manager at Guide Dogs, said: “Imagine you were turned away by a driver.

“This happens to people living with sight loss with shocking regularity just because they are accompanied by a guide dog.

“It’s not only illegal, it knocks people’s confidence and stops them doing the everyday things that most people take for granted.

“Licencing authorities and magistrates aren’t effectively using the powers they have to prosecute taxi and minicab drivers who flout the law.”

source: http://www.southlondon-today.co.uk/arti ... ?id=118205

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

These drivers who refuse assistance dogs want outing from the trade, I don't care who it is enough is enough. It's discrimination nothing else, take their badges off them and get them out of the trade.

But it's not just the drivers it is companies refusing to accept bookings as well

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

"all we want is to have our rights and to be treated like everyone else"

so what would happen if the dog got the cabbies seat / carpet covered in dog hairs then? do we just say "well the fare is a tenner mate , but your dog has covered my carpet in hairs so im off to the garage now to hoover it out, so its now 20 quid, cost of hoover/loss of earnings," that's what we do people without disabilities & you want to be equal, why do people think guide dogs don't slaver/pant/drool/shed hair/ get wet & stink?? they are dogs after all

"compellability" exists on a Rank only I believe.

I don't like it but it seems to me a booking can be declined with no reason required.

In the same way a PH Operator could simply refuse any booking and again is not required to give a reason. It could lead to an assistance dog user getting a PH once, then never again. It's not right, but it's the way it is.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

The only people allowed to fine are the courts.

However councils can suspend/revoke.

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IDFIMH

Then they should also be prosecuted and/or revoked/suspended.

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IDFIMH

£1 hoover at Asda 4 minutes job done. You really shouldn't be in the trade.

Easiest way to remove dog hair is a sticky roller.