Guide dog user felt like 'second-class citizen' after taxi refusal

By Tom Taylor

It's against the law for taxi drivers to refuse access to guide dog owners - but that message isn't getting through, according to charity Guide Dogs Cymru.

Guide dog owner Ryan Moreland told ITV News that refusals happen "more often than I care to admit" when taxi drivers see his companion Jamie.

"[I feel] almost like a second-class citizen - like I'm not as worthy of a service than someone else because I have a dog.

"I've had, at the other end, instances of being charged extra for the privilege and then been made to feel uncomfortable in the journey which makes me a bit frightened to use taxis in the future."

Ryan decided to speak out about the issue after a recent incident with taxi firm Veezu in Cardiff which made him late for a hospital appointment.

"The one taxi, he drove past. I could see him on the app go to the far end of my estate and then the job changed to 'searching for available drivers' which is a very common thing that I've experienced where they don't want to take the dog."

Ryan then had to wait for another driver to arrive from Veezu to take him to his appointment which he was then 15 minutes late for.

Veezu said it had reported the incident to the local licensing authority, adding:

“Driver partners operating via Veezu are self-employed individuals and as such are responsible for their own actions.

"As a licensed operator, we have reported this matter to the Local Licensing Authority for investigation and deactivated the driver partner access to the Veezu booking system.

"We do not tolerate discrimination and take incidents like this very seriously. We will continue to work with the local licensing authorities and passenger groups to raise awareness and eliminate cases like this.”

A survey carried out by Guide Dogs in 2022 found that 63% of respondents said they had been refused access to taxi or private hire vehicles in a 12-month period.

Kerry Bevan, Head of Service at the charity said: "It's a criminal offence to refuse access to a guide dog and also to charge extra to carry the dog.

"The only exemption to that rule would be if the owner has a medical exemption certificate which should be clearly displayed and in those situations you would expect the driver or the company to assist the individual to find another alternative taxi.

"Guide dogs are highly trained animals, they're not just simply pets. For a person living with sight loss they're a vital mobility aid that provides a sense of freedom and independence for them to feel they can get around safely."

Callum Sullivan, a driver for Vale Taxis, believes better awareness training is needed: "It's only in the handbook that you get given after you've passed. You don't get sat down and told you have to take guide dogs.

"Some guide dogs moult, especially with the seasons, so [the drivers] are thinking they've got to clean their car after, which in my experience isn't really a valid excuse because it takes two minutes to hoover if there is an issue. Most guide dogs are as good as gold."

Last year a Welsh Government white paper proposed national standards and training for all drivers.

In a statement, the Welsh Government said:

“It is illegal for taxi drivers to refuse access to guide dog users and their dogs. Those that are refused access to taxis and private hire vehicles should complain to their local authority.

“Last year, we consulted on plans to legislate to modernise taxi and private hire vehicle licensing.

"Our proposals include national standards and training for all drivers. We are working with Guide Dogs Cymru and other groups which represent disabled people as we continue to develop our plans for legislation."