A disabled man was denied a taxi ride due to his assistance dog in the Wiltshire county of England, United Kingdom, making him face devastating humiliation. In the troubling incident, he was allegedly left stranded despite collapsing from exhaustion.
Disabled man denied ride because of his service dog
On two separate occasions, 46-year-old disabled man Edward Jones recounts being refused by taxi drivers outside Chippenham railway station in Wiltshire, as per Wiltshire Times. Despite his pleas, drivers refuse to transport him home because of the presence of his canine companion. His dog, George, is a two-year-old Teacup Shih Tzu who provides him with crucial mental health support.
In addition, he collapsed and endured excruciating leg pain, describing the sensation as “burning from the inside out.” Despite this, taxi drivers didn’t accommodate him.
In response to the incident, Wiltshire Council has revised its guidelines for taxi drivers. Councillor Caroline Thomas, the cabinet member for transport, expressed regret over the incident and repeated the council’s commitment to handling such issues seriously.
Thomas stated, “After investigating his complaint, we have revised the wording in our taxi guidelines to make it absolutely clear to taxi drivers that guide dogs and assistance dogs must be carried, and it is illegal to refuse to do so.”
She further added that customers do not need to prove their dog is an assistance animal. Therefore, drivers must carry any dog classified as such “unless the driver has a medical exemption from carrying dogs.”
Finally, she said that their enforcement officers will conduct “rank inspections to monitor compliance.”
Mr. Jones felt delight upon learning of the changes. He praised the supportive response from both Wiltshire and Chippenham councilors involved, expressing gratitude for their understanding.
Additionally, he hopes that these changes will empower others in similar circumstances to confidently exercise their rights while traveling.
Jones recently relocated from London to Chippenham, registering as disabled due to a chronic illness that severely impacts his mobility. He credits his assistance dog with significantly improving his mental health, even stating that the dog “saved his life.”
