Taxi Driver Online

Blind entrepreneur, 28, is taking Uber to court after being refused a ride more than 100 times because he has a guide dog - and says it makes him feel like a 'second class citizen'

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A blind businessman is taking Uber to court after being refused rides on more than 100 occasions because he has a guide dog.
Dan Williams, 28, of Cardiff, who has an eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa which causes gradual sight loss, explained drivers frequently cancel when they learn he is travelling with guide dog Zodiac.

He said it can take up to five attempts before he has a booking accepted. Over one two-week period recorded six refusals out of 10 attempts. Mr Williams, with support from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, is now bringing a case against Uber, claiming the company is discriminating against him because of his disability.

Speaking about the issue on Radio 4's In Touch last night, Mr Williams said: 'It has had a severe mental health impact. It has made me feel not so confident to use taxis. It's made me feel really anxious when booking taxis. 'It just makes me feel like a second-class citizen to be honest. We still have so much more to do. It shouldn't be happening in the 21st century.'

Mr Williams runs Visualise Training and Consultancy, a company which provides training and advice to companies on how to communicate with visually-impaired customers and colleagues. His job requires him to travel extensively across the country, which means he often needs to use taxis.

He explained: 'I work all over the UK and I know Uber is all over the UK. It's cheap, I don't have to use money. It makes my life a lot easier.' Asked why he doesn't consider using a different taxi company, Mr Williams responded: 'I don't feel like as a blind person, I should have to use a different company. The company should be adhering to the Equality Act that's there for a reason.'

Mr Williams said that after booking an Uber through the app, he often messages the driver to inform him or her that he will be travelling with a guide dog. The driver often cancels at this point. 'That can happen two or three times before I am accepted,' he said.

Other drivers arrive to pick-up Mr Williams but refuse to let him in because of the guide dog. They often give 'excuses rather than reasons', he explained, with many complaining about allergies or the mess created by the dog.

Dan explained: 'A regular scenario is that I book an Uber ride and on arrival, the driver either spots me and Zodiac and drives off or pulls up and refuses to allow us into their car. 'I always remain calm and professional and explain that it is illegal under UK law as a guide dog is classed as a mobility aid, just like a wheelchair.

'I then started to message drivers to inform them that I have a guide dog which resulted in cancellations and would often message 2 or 3 drivers before one would actually accept the job.'

Some refuse Mr Williams because they don't think he 'looks blind' and claim they do not think Zodiac is a guide dog. 'I don't look blind because I don't look like the stereotype,' Mr Williams said in an interview with Radio 4's You and Yours today. 'There is a lack of education, definitely. But most people are aware of what a guide dog is and that should be part of their training.'

It is illegal for a taxi driver to refuse a passenger because they have a guide dog.

However the case is complicated by whether or not Uber drivers are employees or self-employed. In 2016 a tribunal ruled that Uber drivers are employees but the company is set to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court this summer. Lawyer Chris Fry, of Fry Law, which specialises in disability discrimination cases, explained they will wait for the outcome of the Supreme Court hearing before proceeding with their case.

He said: 'I'm pleased that Dan has decided to pursue this case as I know of many people who are treated in the same way and just put up with it. 'I'm very hopeful that together, we can make a positive impact on the taxi sector as a whole that will benefit the two million people living with sight loss in the UK.

'We think that Uber hanging its drivers out to dry shows an abrogation of responsibility. They are the Service Provider and are therefore responsible for providing an Equality Act compliant service.'

Uber issued a statement in response: 'It is totally unacceptable for drivers to refuse to take a guide dog and we investigate every report. 'Licensed private hire drivers must carry service animals in their vehicle. We highlight this obligation to all drivers before they start using the Uber app and often send reminders.

'Any driver who is found to have refused to take a service animal will permanently lose access to the app.'

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IDFIMH

What I don’t get is why he consistently tries to use them ? Why not use someone else ? I know it’s his right but if I was him I wouldn’t bother.

Is it? Never heard that one cited before in a guide dog or wheelchair case.

Not sure about the law, but I assume it's the operator-driver licensing relationship that's relevant, not the employment status relationship.

my thought exactly if it was such an issue then he should take his trade elsewhere

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

Maybe building a good case against them.

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IDFIMH

The operator is where the buck stops, doesn't matter if the driver is employed or self-employed.

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IDFIMH

Uber: Taxi refusals make man feel 'second-class citizen'

Dan Williams says he and his guide dog Zodiac have been refused rides by taxi drivers more than 100 times. The 28-year-old businessman from Cardiff, who is blind, claims Uber drivers have left him standing when they see his dog.

He says it is "horrible discrimination" and plans to mount a legal challenge against the firm. Uber said: "It is totally unacceptable for drivers to refuse to take a guide dog and we investigate every report."

Mr Williams' and other taxi passengers' experiences are due to be highlighted on BBC programme Rip Off Britain on Tuesday.

He says he has taken to speaking to drivers when booking a cab so they know he has the black Labrador retriever travelling with him. However, he says he often has to try several before he finds a driver who will take him and his dog.

Sometimes cabbies drive off when they see his dog, while others tell him they are allergic to dog hair and refuse to carry the pair.

Mr Williams has retinitis pigmentosa which causes gradual deterioration in sight. He has been able to see when drivers leave him standing and he says he has a copy of the unfulfilled bookings recorded in his Uber account.

"It makes you feel like a second-class citizen," he says. "It shouldn't be happening in the 21st Century."

He likes Uber's app because he can book and pay for a taxi in one go when he is travelling around the UK. His firm helps companies to be more inclusive and accessible to people with a visual impairment.

Mr Williams has now taken to trying to book a taxi about an hour before he needs it due to the problems he encounters.

"I've been late a number of times," he says.

He believes drivers turn him away because they are concerned about getting dog hair in their vehicles, although some may have a genuine allergy.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People has published its own guidance about how people can challenge discrimination by taxi drivers via a local authority.

Mr Williams and his lawyer Chris Fry told BBC Radio 4 programme In Touch they were taking legal action against Uber under the Equality Act because the issue was happening frequently.

But they are first awaiting a Supreme Court decision following a separate legal hearing that will decide whether Uber drivers are employees as it will affect how their case will proceed.

Uber told In Touch: "It is totally unacceptable for drivers to refuse to take a guide dog and we investigate every report.

"Licensed private hire drivers must carry service animals in their vehicle. We highlight this obligation to all drivers before they start using the Uber app and often send reminders.

"Any driver who's found to have refused to take a service animal will permanently lose access to the app."

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IDFIMH

uber more than any other operator would have the records to find the drivers concerned. I wonder what a FOI request would uncover

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

Nothing as they don't have to answer.

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IDFIMH