Cabbies 'ignore blind passengers'

Taxi drivers in Leicester are refusing to pick up blind passengers with guide dogs, it is alleged.

The city council's licensing department says it has had complaints that some cabbies are driving off as soon as they see a guide dog.

A spokesman said it was a condition of drivers' licences that they could not refuse to take disabled people with assistance dogs.

The RMT union which represents taxi drivers said 99.9% were law-abiding.

It hurts a lot - it makes you feel a lesser person Ian Bradwell

Ian Bradwell from Braunstone said taxis had refused to pick him up on several occasions. He said: "Once a taxi driver opened the door, said he was scared of dogs and drove off. Another taxi driver wouldn't open the door and said he was allergic to dogs."

He added it was a blow to his independence.

"It's the difference between sitting inside these four walls and getting out as a human being. It hurts a lot. It makes you feel a lesser person."

Bobbi Smiljanic, head of the city council's licensing department, said the authority would take action against drivers who broke the rules.

"Ultimately it can lead to drivers being prosecuted. It's totally unacceptable that they don't pick up people because of their disabilities," he said.