A private hire driver has lost his licence and been ordered pay compensation after refusing to ferry a blind woman because she had a guide dog. Mohamed Abid Hussain, 42, was working on Wednesday February 18 in Manchester when he accepted a booking on the Uber app to a train station in the city centre.
But a Trafford Council Licensing Sub Committee hearing was told that when he swung by to collect her, he remarked that she could not bring her “pet” into his vehicle. The unnamed customer, who is registered blind and uses a guide dog with a clear hi-vis coat and harness, had booked his cab to catch a train home to London.
Trafford Council added: “When Mr Hussain was questioned by Council officers, he claimed he had not realised that the dog was a guide dog, despite their high-vis harness.”
Hussain, of Manchester, pleaded guilty at Manchester Magistrates’ Court to failing to carry a guide dog, wear his private hire driver’s badge or return his badge after his licence was revoked.
By law, people with disabilities, accompanied by their service dogs, including guide dogs, have the right to access taxis, shops, restaurants, and other public places.
In the case of taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs), such as Hussain’s, refusing a person accompanied by a working assistance dog without a valid medical exemption certificate is a criminal offence.
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association state: “Guide dogs will be recognisable from their harness, and many guide dog owners will carry an ID book with them.
“However, it is important to note that not all types of assistance dogs wear harnesses, and there is no requirement to carry ID.”
The court heard when the woman was refused “she explained that her dog was a guide dog – and reported him to the Council when he refused her fare.”
Mr Hussain was fined £100 and instructed to pay £100 in compensation to the victim.
At the separate Licensing Sub Committee hearing, Hussain said he was sorry for what had happened and admitted that he had no special conditions or allergies that would prevent him from taking a guide dog.
Councillors agreed he had unlawfully discriminated against the customer and approved the revoking his licence.
Cllr Rose Thompson, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Communities and Safety, said: “We thank this customer for bringing the matter to our attention.
“On receiving the complaint, we were appalled at the discrimination faced by her. We are pleased that action has now been taken. Taxi drivers in Trafford are expected to uphold proper standards and abide by the law.”