A BLIND guide dog owner in Bromsgrove has called out taxi services after what he believes to be continued refusals to allow him and his guide dog to travel.
Jason Phillips, from Sidemoor in Bromsgrove, has been blind from a very young age and has said his chances of getting a taxi for him and his guide dog since the COVID-19 pandemic have become next to impossible.
Jason claims taxi companies blame the lack of drivers due to the changing industry as the reason for his troubles however he believes the taxi ranks are intentionally avoiding or denying his calls because of not wanting to deal with his guide dog and his disability.
He explained how he will always be upfront with taxi companies by detailing his needs and the necessity for his guide dog to travel with him, only to be given ‘the run around’.
According to Jason, taxi companies will initially accept his job but when he calls to check on the whereabouts of his taxi, he will be told that he didn’t inform the taxi company of his guide dog.
At this point taxi companies will claim they do not have enough drivers to fulfill his request, leaving him waiting longer or receiving no service at all.
In UK law it is illegal for taxi drivers to intentionally refuse to take a passenger and their guide dog – unless a medical exemption applies – yet charity Guide Dogs say at least 81 per cent of guide dog owners have been illegally refused entry because of their dog.
Those statistics came from a study in 2022 carried out by the charity as part of the Open Doors Campaign to help end illegal access refusals experienced by guide dog owners.
During the study, of those 81 per cent of people who had experienced an access refusal, 73 per cent had experienced it within the last 12 months.
Research also showed that 49 per cent of guide dog owners said they changed their plans or restricted visits to certain places because of fears of access refusal.
Jason said: “They aren’t honest with you about why they can’t accept the job, they just mess you about.
“If you’re blind people think they can spin you lies and get away with it.”
Clive Wood, policy and campaigns manager at Guide Dogs, said: “Guide dog owners deserve to be able to live the lives they want and feel confident, independent, and supported in the world.
“We’re educating businesses on the law and campaigning for government to strengthen it.”
Simon Wilkes, head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) said: “Under the law taxis cannot normally refuse people with assistance dogs and all licensed taxi drivers and taxi operators have been made aware of their duties as license holders.
“We’re aware of complaints made in Bromsgrove District, and we intend to carry out mystery shopper exercises to assess the issue, which is something we have also done elsewhere across the county.
“While drivers can apply for written exemptions on assistance dogs in certain circumstances, no licensed drivers in Bromsgrove currently have such an exemption so assistance dogs must normally be accepted.”
Visit: https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/how-you-can-help/campaigning/our-current-campaigns/open-doors/ to find out more about the Guide Dogs campaign.
