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Written question asked by Julian Knight (Conservative) on Tuesday, 14 June 2016, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 27 June 2016. It was answered by Andrew Jones (Conservative) on Friday, 1 July 2016 on behalf of the Department for Transport.


Taxis: Assistance Animals

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the taxi driver licensing process provides more awareness to taxi drivers of the requirements to take guide and other service dogs in their vehicles.

Answer

Guide and assistance dogs enable their owners to live and travel in safety and with dignity. Refusing them access to services, including taxis and private hire vehicles is not only illegal, but can damage their confidence and independence.

The details of individual taxi and PHV licensing regimes is a matter for the respective local authorities, however I urge them to consider how best to equip drivers with the skills and knowledge to provide all disabled customers with the assistance they need.

We are considering how Government could help to reduce incidents of assistance dog refusals by taxi and PHV drivers, but in the meantime I encourage authorities to take robust action against those who are unwilling to comply.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
40620
Session
2016-17
Subjects
Licensing Taxis Assistance animals
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk