A taxi driver has been ordered to pay more than £200 after he refused to accept a booking from a disabled woman accompanied by an assistance dog. Aras Abdullah, 47, claimed he had an allergy to the animals when he was assigned the private hire job at Stoke Station through an automated system in July. However, he was unaware that the fare included an assistance dog at the time of the assignment, a court heard.
Incident Details
Abdullah refused to accept the woman and her dog, and she was instead taken to her destination by people she met on the train. She later contacted the private hire operator to lodge a complaint and requested to speak to a manager, but no one returned her call, StokeonTrentLive reports.
Legal Proceedings
Ms Round, prosecuting on behalf of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, stated: "Mr Abdullah was interviewed and explained he had an allergy to pet hair. He said he had not refused the booking, merely returned it to the operator for health reasons - he felt he had done nothing wrong." Taxi drivers have a legal obligation to accept assistance dogs unless they possess an exemption certificate, which Abdullah did not have. He apologised before driving off.
Abdullah, of Laurel Grove, Blurton, pleaded guilty to failing to accept a booking for a vehicle by a disabled person accompanied by an assistance dog. He received a 12-month conditional discharge from magistrates and was ordered to pay a £26 victim surcharge and £200 costs, totaling £226.
Defence Argument
Ms Leadbetter, defending, argued: "Mr Abdullah has been a taxi driver for some years and has never received a complaint regarding his driving or personal manner. He has a letter from his doctor confirming his allergy. The message from the operator did not provide full details, only instructing him where to go. When he arrived and saw a lady approaching with a dog, he immediately contacted the base to say he could not proceed due to his allergy. They informed him it was no longer his booking. He would not have been able to take someone without a proper booking, and the operator made arrangements for someone else."
She added: "The reason he did not have an exemption certificate was that when he first started as a taxi driver, he did not have an asthma problem. It was only a couple of years ago that he became aware of his allergy issues. If he had suffered an asthma attack with the lady in the car, it could have been dangerous. It is unfortunate he did not have the certificate."
