Calgary taxi driver fined, suspended after refusing to give ride to a blind woman & her guide dog
CBC
A Calgary cab company has fined and temporarily suspended one of its drivers for refusing to give a ride this week to a blind woman and her guide dog.
Kim Kilpatrick is from Ottawa and just so happens to be in Calgary with her guide dog, Ginger, to perform a show downtown about living with guide dogs.
"It's a really sort of shocking experience," Kilpatrick said. "I don't just have a dog in the car for the heck of it, she's going to get me from the car to my destination."
Kilpatrick said she used an app to book the taxi after her show last Sunday afternoon at Lunchbox Theatre, located at the bottom of the Calgary Tower.
She said when it arrived the driver told her the dog wasn't allowed in the vehicle because he didn't want any dog hair inside.
Kilpatrick said she told him that was illegal and he had to take the service dog.
Kilpatrick eventually cancelled the ride and booked another taxi from the same company without any problems.
Kilpatrick said she later called dispatch to complain and was told to order a pet-friendly taxi next time.
"Like it was my fault," she said.
Kilpatrick complained to Vehicle For Hire, the city department that oversees taxis and rideshares. It confirmed it is in the midst of an investigation.
A spokesperson for the taxi company, Calgary United Cabs, initially said he wasn't aware of the incident. But after looking into it further, he said they've temporarily suspended the driver pending the results of the city's investigation.
"This is not supposed to happen with any human being," said Rajeev Gopinath, marketing manager for Calgary United Cabs.
Gopinath said he plans to apologize directly to Kilpatrick. On Wednesday evening, he said the driver was fined $700 and would need to redo in-office training in order to reactivate his vehicle following the suspension. The suspension is set to last until noontime Thursday.
The rights of a blind person and their service dog are protected under both municipal and provincial legislation.
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