Jan
Taxi Driver is Prosecuted for Snubbing Guide Dog
A taxi driver has been ordered to pay £2,175 after refusing to allow a partially sighted woman and her guide dog travel in his car.
The incident happened when a hotel booked Jarnail Singh, of Slough, to take one of their customers, and when he arrived he said he would not allow the dog to travel .
Slough council was contacted about the incident and prosecuted the 45 year old under the Disability Discrimination Act.
He was fined a maximum of £1,000, but failed to turn up to Bracknell Magistrates Court and was ordered to pay an extra £1,175 in costs.
Under the Disability Discrimination Act, drivers cannot refuse to carry guide dogs unless they have been granted an exemption certificate on medical grounds. The court was told that Singh had never applied for this exemption.
Councillor Shafiq Chaudhry, of Slough Borough Council, commissioner for community and leisure said; “Disability discrimination is an extremely serious matter…it’s important residents feel confident that the council it can to ensure drivers who breach the cat are prosecuted.”
Mick Sims, licensing manager for Slough Borough Council said: “This is a very serious offence and a breach of the act we will not tolerate…we hope the case serves as a warning to all other licensed drivers to ensure they operate fairly and within the law.”
Why did Mr Singh refuse to take the dog in the taxi?
If he cannot obey the law surely he should not be allowed a taxi licence in the future, simple and end of story?
Should have been fined even more, assistance dogs are necessary, law breaking taxi drivers are not!
He refused it because Muslims regard dogs as unclean. What’s next, Muslim doctors refusing to visit a patient because they’ve a dog in the house? Whoops … too late!
Hi Niccolo
Surely if he is called Mr Singh, he is a Sikh and not a Muslim?
Whatever religion he is, he discriminated against an assistance dog and was prosecuted, maybe taxi drivers need to receive some re-education on such dogs?