A partially sighted man from Swindon says he’s been left anxious about using taxis after a private hire driver initially refused to allow his guide dog into the vehicle.
24-year-old Samuel Willder booked a night-time journey with Veezu, but says the driver’s first words were: “I’m not allowing any dogs into my car.”
Mr Willder explained that his dog, Bryony, was a fully trained guide dog, but the driver still allegedly refused. “He still said, ‘No, I’m not allowing guide dogs’,” Samuel recalled. Only after he informed the driver that refusing a guide dog is illegal did the driver reluctantly let him in.
“The journey was very uncomfortable. He was in an argumentative mood and swearing,” said Samuel.
When the car reached its destination, things reportedly got worse — the driver dropped him at the wrong location and refused to help him exit the vehicle.
“A car was very close to us when we got out, which could have been avoided if he’d helped me,” Samuel explained. “I had to find a nearby landmark to figure out where I was, then struggled to make my way home.”
The upsetting incident has left him fearful of future taxi journeys:
“I don’t want another taxi to treat me the same way.”
Guide Dogs charity calls for stronger training
Jessica Luke, Regional Policy and Campaigns Manager at Guide Dogs, condemned the incident and stressed the seriousness of guide dog refusals.
“It’s almost always illegal to refuse a guide dog. It’s a deeply harmful form of discrimination,” she said.
“It’s really important that driver training includes awareness of the rights of assistance dog owners.”
Veezu response
A spokesperson for Veezu said the company “took the allegation extremely seriously” and confirmed that the driver’s behaviour “fell short of expectations.”
“He has been reminded of his legal obligations and duty of care towards all passengers,” the spokesperson added.
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