PEOPLE who are reliant on assistance dogs are increasingly being let down by taxi drivers who are refusing to take them in their cabs, according to a charity.

Peter Gorbing, chief executive of Banbury-based Dogs for Good, has said he has heard cases of people booking taxis but then seeing them drive away as soon as they tried to get in with a dog.

It comes after a rare prosecution by Vale of White Horse District Council of a taxi driver in Abingdon who refused to take a blind man with his guide dog.

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Tahir Murad had already given up his Hackney carriage licence and was fined £300 for breaking equality legislation.

Mr Gorbing said dog-owners struggle to access several services but taxis in particular can be notoriously difficult.

He said: "It's a very significant problem.

"A lot of these people are reliant on taxis to travel because of the nature of their disabilities and they are just being left stranded.

"It's about allowing people to live their lives the way they want and that is being taken away from them."

Mr Gorbing said taxis are one of the few areas specifically named in the legislation and must make 'reasonable adjustments' to accommodate people with disabilities.

Drivers are only exempt if they apply for a certificate but very few of these are thought to have been awarded in the county.

He welcomed the prosecution but said he felt this sort of action must be accompanied with education to make taxi drivers aware of their responsibilities in this area and how important access to taxis are for people with disabilities.

READ AGAIN: Abingdon taxi driver fined for refusing to take guide dog

He said dog-owners are often understanding of potential concerns about cleanliness and will go out of their way to 'make the trip work for everyone.'

Anyone experiencing these problems should report them to their local council, according to Mr Gorbing, in order to get a grip on the problem.

Sajad Khan, secretary of the City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association, said he felt black cab drivers in the city were aware of the law in this area and their responsibilities.

He added: "We have all been trained and we understand the importance of this.

"I regularly get bookings from people with dogs and I am more than happy to pick them up."