A partially sighted man who is legally registered blind was denied a taxi ride after the driver claimed that he had 'allergies', despite not being in possession of an exemption certificate. On June 13, Elliott Ainley and his guide dog 'Legend' hailed down a cab outside of Hull Paragon Station in order to get a ride home after their usual bus service was disrupted.
As Elliott prepared to enter the taxi, the driver denied him access as a result of his guide dog, claiming that he had 'allergies'. When Elliott asked the driver to showcase his exemption certificate, a legal requirement needed to deny guide dogs access, he was unable to do so, putting him in breach of both the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Equality Act 2010.
After an uncomfortable exchange, Elliott and Legend were still refused access and forced to wait for another taxi, Hull Live reports.
