Cabbie pays penalty for refusing to pick up passenger with guide dog

Wednesday, 20 June 2018 07:00

A taxi driver has been ordered to pay almost £2,000, after refusing to pick up a deafblind university researcher, before injuring her in his haste to get away from the scene.

Abdul Hamid Hasinyani was called using the Uber app to collect Joanna Hearn, who relies on a guide dog because she has severe tunnel vision and night blindness, from the Whitworth Park area, near Manchester University in July 2017.

Joanna opened one of the rear doors to enter the vehicle, but after Hasinyani realised that Joanna was accompanied by her Black Labrador guide dog, Sadie, he drove away - with the door still open – running over Joanna’s foot in the process.

He was fined £110 plus costs of £85 for driving without due care and attention and his driving licence was endorsed with eight penalty points. For the crime of refusing an assistance dog, Hasinyani was fined £500 and ordered to pay costs of £1,200, plus a £50 victim surcharge. The total financial penalty was £1,945.

Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, said: “Hasinyani’s behaviour was shameful and callous in the extreme. He had no right to treat Joanna in such a manner and it is right that he has received a heavy financial penalty for these offences.

"Manchester expects much higher standards of conduct than this from private hire drivers and we hope that Rossendale council, who licensed Hasinyani, will now investigate the case and take appropriate action against him.

“We will have no hesitation in prosecuting any taxi driver who refuses to accept an assistance dog and I hope this sentence makes it clear that offences of this kind will not be tolerated in Manchester.”

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