A blind champion skier today urged taxi app firms to enforce the law by telling drivers they must pick up visually impaired people and guide dogs.
John Dickinson-Lilley, who spends more than £600 a week commuting, said he had been repeatedly left at the kerbside when drivers refuse to take his animal. The charity Guide Dogs said complaints about the issue had doubled in three years from 66 to 146.
Mr Dickinson-Lilley, right, 39, of Forest Hill is head of external affairs at a construction firm and travels with black Labrador-Retriever cross Brett. He said drivers often claimed an allergy to animals.
A 2016 British champion and European Cup slalom winner, he is training for the 2022 Beijing Paralympics. He said that at work “I meet ministers and parliamentarians. I have to travel by taxi because we get battered on the Tube. But unfortunately private hire firms don’t help.
“It’s embarrassing and affects your credibility because you turn up late. Black cabs are the only ones I can guarantee will take us. You say to Uber or Addison Lee, ‘It’s critical the drivers know I’ve got a guide dog.’ But there’s times they turn up then drive away, or just don’t stop, which is illegal. It’s a humiliation. I get really angry.”
The Equality Act 2010 states taxis and private hire vehicles must carry the guide dog, allow it to stay with the owner and not charge extra. Lawbreakers face a £1,000 fine.
Uber said: “We remind drivers of this. Any found to have refused to take a service animal will permanently lose access to Uber and risks having their private hire licence taken away.”
Guide Dogs wants mandatory equality training for taxi and cab drivers.
Addison Lee chief executive Andy Boland said: “Our drivers are trained on taking guide dogs before they are allowed to drive for us.”
He added the firm would “investigate the matters raised in the article thoroughly” and “looked forward to welcoming” Mr Dickinson-Lilley and Brett in one of their cars soon.
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