Taxi driver suspended over guide dog refusal

A taxi driver was suspended after he refused to take a guide dog, despite "clear" council guidelines.

Wiltshire Council's taxi licensing team said it has also suspended two other drivers in the past two weeks after one was caught using a phone at the wheel and another threatened a council officer.

The Equality Act 2010 states taxis must carry guide dogs and other assistance dogs.

Last year, the council changed the wording of its taxi guidelines to make it "absolutely clear" that it is illegal to refuse to do so, after a disabled resident in Chippenham was denied a taxi ride twice because of his service dog.

Councillors were informed of the latest suspensions at the licensing committee meeting in Trowbridge County Hall on 17 March, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The meeting was also told that the taxi licensing team is dealing with "significant numbers of new driver applications", with driver numbers having been "above 900 for consecutive months for the first time since April 2021".

Despite this, councillors were told it was "unlikely" for driver numbers to ever return to pre-pandemic levels due to a changes in high street footfall and the county's night-time economy.

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