Portsmouth taxi firm Aqua Cars to be investigated by the council for discriminating against blind passengers

Journalists Siobhan Meade and Sean Dilley were asked by an Aqua Cars driver to pay extra when they travelled to Stevenage from the Isle of Wight on Sunday.

In an exchange caught on video, the driver initially appeared to refuse the married couple when he met them and their two black Labrador retrievers, Marty and Sammie, at the Gunwharf Quays car ferry terminal at 2pm.

This came despite the couple mentioning the assistance dogs on the phone minutes earlier.

After suggesting they instead call a ‘big car’ the driver eventually allowed them to board, but demanded ‘70p per dog’ on top of their fare when they got to Portsmouth and Southsea railway station.

Such charges are illegal under the Equality Act 2010 and taxi drivers must allow guide and assistance dogs to remain with their owners unless they have a medical exemption certificate.

Siobhan, 36, said: ‘I’ve been a guide dog owner since 2003 and I’ve had well over 30 refusals like this – and that’s being generous.

‘The driver’s attitude was disgusting and I really felt like a second-class citizen. I felt like I shouldn’t have been there at all.

‘All I wanted to do was get in the cab so I could catch my train.’

The driver also told Siobhan and Sean, who are both registered blind, to get out out the way of his vehicle after they stepped into the station car park.

Siobhan added: ‘We said “where are we? You’ve dropped us somewhere we don’t even know, yet you expect us to move”.'

The video has since been shared on YouTube and the incident has been reported to Portsmouth City Councils' licensing team, which is investigating.

Penny Mordaunt, the Conservative MP for Portsmouth North, offered Siobhan her support after seeing the video on Twitter.

Ms Mordaunt told The News: ‘This shows the importance of driver training – in taxis but also other modes too.

‘It is horrible to think every time you want to go out you have to explain and justify to someone what the law is and why they need to follow it. I hope this story raises awareness.’

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Disability awareness activist Siobhan said swathes of ‘less confident’ blind people across the UK put up with similar discrimination every day.

‘There are other people who accept it, but after that they may not ever go out again or get a taxi,’ she said.

‘That’s why I’m so passionate for speaking up for those without a voice.’

Aqua Cars director, Bruce Hall, was made aware of the incident by The News.

He said: ‘A driver shouldn’t be charging for guide dogs or work assistance dogs. That’s Aqua Cars’ stance.’

Nickii Humphreys, licensing manager at Portsmouth City Council, added: ‘We have received a complaint and will be investigating the concerns raised.

‘It is an offence for a driver to refuse to carry an assistance dog (without a medical exemption) or for an additional charge to be made for carrying an assistance dog.’

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