Coventry City Council should have zero tolerance when it comes to taxi drivers breaking the law by not allowing guide dogs in their vehicles. That is the message from the charity Guide Dogs which supports those with a vision impairment.
In the UK, there are two million people with sight loss and the charity says that 9,410 of these live in Coventry. This figure is predicted to rise to 10,800 by 2032.
Taxi services are essential for many disabled people
In response to a council consultation on planned changes to its licensing policy for taxis and private hire vehicles (PHV), the charity’s regional policy and campaigns manager Jessica Luke put forward a number of recommendations after explaining that the service is essential for disabled people, particularly blind and partially sighted people who are unable to drive and often face barriers when using public transport.
She said that accessing taxis and private hire vehicles can be a major challenge for assistance dog owners, with almost 60% being refused access, and 40% reporting that the taxi or minicab drove away when the driver saw their guide dog. It is a criminal offence to refuse to carry a guide or other assistance dog in a taxi or private hire vehicle, unless the driver has been issued with a valid medical exemption certificate.
Refusing guide dogs is in breach of the Equality Act 2010
Among her recommendations is one outlining the law so that all drivers are aware they have a duty to carry, free of charge, any assistance dog under the Equality Act 2010 and failure to do so is a criminal offence leading to a hefty fine and loss of licence.
Ms Luke:
The policy should state that the council will investigate all reported violations of the Equality Act 2010 in a timely manner, with a view to pursuing a conviction, and that failure to carry an assistance dog will lead to automatic revocation of a taxi or PHV licence. Taxi access refusals and the consequences of delayed travel combined with the emotional impact of facing discrimination and confrontation when trying to carry out everyday activities, take a significant toll on assistance dog owners. Apart from feelings of anger and embarrassment, refusals can undermine the independence that assistance dogs bring to their owners.
Taxi drivers need training on disability equality
Another of the recommendations was that all drivers should be required to undertake disability equality training when they apply for or renew their licence.
Ms Luke explained:
A Guide Dogs survey found that many taxi drivers are unaware of their legal obligation to carry an assistance dog and of the impact refusals have on assistance dog owners. The best way to address this is by making disability equality training for all taxi and PHV drivers mandatory.
Many of the positive experiences disabled people report when using taxis and PHVs are a result of drivers attending disability equality training. Councils that have made this training a condition of licensing report very positive results, with fewer refusals and drivers feeling more confident in assisting disabled people.
A press release by Local Democracy Reporter David Lawrence.
