taxis and registered assistance dogs - Disability Discrimination

Dear Mr Heaton,

Thank you for your email.

Your request for information is receiving attention. We are making
enquiries to find out if we hold the information, following which we
will write to you further. If we do hold the information and it is not
exempt under the Act, then we will let you know if there is a cost in
making it available.

Yours sincerely

Sara Crowley
Trainee Committee Officer, Democratic Services
Norwich City Council
Telephone: 01603 212416
Email: [email address]

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On Thursday 23 July I wiil be out of the office working on postal votes
for the North Norwich by-election.I will check my emails when possible but
shall be back in the office on Friday 24 July in the afternoon.

Thanks and regards

Sara Crowley
Trainee Committee Officer
T: 01603 212416

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Dear Mr Heaton,

I am writing in response to your request of 23 June 2009 for information
regarding taxis and registered assistance dogs and Disability
Discrimination.

Please find the information you requested given below.

In providing you with this information I would like to draw your attention
to the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005, which came
into force on the 1 July 2005. If you intend to re-use the information
provided, you must contact the Council as we may wish to place conditions
on how this information is used.

Yours sincerely

Chris Lambert
Democratic Services Officer
Norwich City Council
01603 212490
[email address]

From: peter heaton[SMTP:]
Sent: 23 June 2009 18:17:56
To: FOI-Queries
Subject: Freedom of Information request - taxis and registered assistance
dogs - Disability Discrimination Auto forwarded by a Rule

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please tell me:

1. what arrangements you make to ensure that taxi drivers licensed
by the council do not refuse to carry a passenger who has a
registered assistance dog (you will I hope be aware that this
extends substantially beyond Guide Dogs).

The council has adopted the following condition which is attached to all
private hire vehicle drivers licences:
Animals
(1) The driver shall not convey in a private hire vehicle any animal
belonging to or in the custody of him/herself or the proprietor or
operator of the vehicle and he/she shall ensure that any animal belonging
to or in the custody of any passenger is conveyed in the rear of the
vehicle.

2) The driver of a private hire vehicle which has been hired:

(a) by or for a disabled person with their guide, hearing or assistance
dog: or

(b) by a person who will be accompanied in the private hire vehicle by
such a disabled person

must carry the disabled passenger's dog ( and allow it to remain with the
passenger) unless the driver has been granted a certificate of exemption
on medical grounds by the Council which certificate must be carried by the
driver and made available for inspection by the hirer or any other
passenger on request.
2. How many instances you are aware of where there have been such
refusals, and the reasons why

We can confirm that we have not been notified of any refusals

3. How many complaints you have had about this and how you have
dealt with them.

We can confirm that we have not received any complaints

4. How your council meets its obligations in this respect under
Disability Discrimination legislation, to ensure that people with a
registered assistance dog are not refused by taxi drivers.

Please refer to response for Question 1

Yours faithfully,

Peter Heaton

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