A partially sighted man said he is "scared to use taxis" after he faced discrimination twice in one day because he uses a guide dog. Ryan Moreland said it is not the first time he has felt uncomfortable while using taxis, but said the two incidents were "beyond the pale".
The 37-year-old from Rhiwbina said the first incident happened when he booked a taxi through the Veezu app in order to travel to a hospital appointment at the University Hospital of Wales in Heath on Thursday, April 11.
He said he noticed the taxi driver continue past him and "hide" down his street when they clocked Ryan's official guide dog, Jamie. A Veezu spokesman said a driver had been deactivated from its booking system following the incident.
Ryan told WalesOnline: "I was stood outside waiting for the taxi, then he slowed down and drove to the end of my estate. He released the job [on the app] and then hid there until another driver took my job on. When another driver took my job on, he then drove off. He clocked Jamie and decided he didn't want to take us on."
Ryan said the incident made him 15 minutes late to his appointment, which was booked due to a bleed in one of his eyes. He said he could not believe it when a second taxi driver tried to refuse him on leaving the hospital because of his guide dog, before charging him an additional £5 for the animal.
Ryan explained: "I went to the first taxi and he asked me which area I would like to travel to. Before I could answer with 'Coryton' he looked down and said 'no dogs'. I said he is a guide dog. After about 30 seconds of awkward silence he said 'I need to check' and he went to speak to the driver behind who explained he couldn't refuse to take us. He came back and mentioned £5.
"I misunderstood what he meant and thought he meant a £5 minimum charge, which was okay as my journey was going to be more than £10. It wasn't until I got to my destination that I realised he wanted to charge me extra because I had Jamie. I was charged £20 instead of £13.30 [which was shown on the meter].
"I have autism so I didn't feel comfortable challenging him. I had already challenged him when he said 'no dogs'. I reported it to taxi licensing and they have taken a statement."
Describing how the incidents made him feel, Ryan said: "I'm a very independent person I don't like to rely on taxis, there are one or two really nice drivers but the majority I've felt very uncomfortable with. I feel too scared to get in a taxi now because, what if this happens again? I've had so many bad experiences and then what happened on Thursday was so beyond the pale."
Regarding the first incident a Veezu spokesman confirmed the partner has been deactivated from its booking system while the incident has been referred to Cardiff council's taxi licensing department.
He said: We do not tolerate discrimination and take incidents like this very seriously. We will continue to work with the local licensing authorities and passenger groups to raise awareness and eliminate cases like this.”
It is understood that the driver who picked Ryan up from the hospital was operating as a self-employed hackney carriage. A Spokesman for Cardiff Council's shared regulatory services said: “We have been advised of the allegations and the matters are being investigated by the licensing enforcement team”
Andrea Gordon, external affairs manager for Guide Dogs Cymru, said: “Guide Dogs Cymru is taking a lead role in working with the Welsh Government on its commitment to introduce compulsory disability equality training for all taxi and private hire drivers in Wales, so that guide dog owners no longer have to suffer the crushing refusals that leave many of them feeling like second-class citizens.”
Source: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/taxi-drivers-hide-refuse-take-29026776
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