I am disappointed that discrimination against assistance dog owners by some taxi and minicab drivers continues to occur.

Many people with sight loss rely on taxis and minicabs to go about their daily lives, and this discrimination can shatter their confidence and derail their plans.

Back in 2016, I supported the Disability Equality Training (Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Drivers) Bill which would have introduced mandatory disability awareness training for all taxi and minicab drivers. Sadly, we could not get the Bill passed before the end of that Parliamentary session, not least because it did not have the support of the Government.

Only in 2019 did the Government accept the need for this training. Indeed, I wrote to the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, Nusrat Ghani, in 2019 about this issue and received a letter back stating that the Government intends, ‘when Parliamentary time is available, to introduce National Minimum Standards including a requirement that drivers complete disability awareness training’.

It has now been almost 3 years since this promise was made to people with sight loss, but the training has still not been mandated and they are still being discriminated against.

I have written to Baroness Vere of Norbiton, the Minister responsible for taxis and PHVs, and asked her to finally keep the Government’s promise to introduce mandatory disability awareness training for all taxi and minicab drivers. I have posted a copy of this letter below for you to see.