News
A major taxi company has rolled out a new policy dedicated to ensuring passengers with assistance animals will not be refused transport based on their accessibility requirements.
13cabs has announced a Zero-Tolerance policy for drivers who refuse to take bookings where assistance animals are involved.
The company’s Chief Operating Officer, Olivia Barry, says trips are monitored via devices which remind drivers of their obligation to passengers.
Drivers are reminded via messages into their car once they've accepted one of these jobs, that it is a criminal offense to refuse service to any passengers with assistance or guide dog
Olivia Barry
Any issues relating to the service are fed back to the contact centre for resolution.
Dianne Shaddock is an Access and Advocacy Advisor for Guide Dogs NSW/ACT. She claims that taxi's turning down assistance dogs is the main issue they hear about in relation to taxi and ride shares.
It's estimated that every one in two trips that an assistance animal handler books is refused, which is just too high
Dianne Shaddock
Ms Shaddock explains that when people are refused access to a service like rideshare, Guide Dogs wants to make sure people with assistance animals were clear on who they report to and what they would expect in terms of an outcome.
As a result, they’ve partnered with the state owned, Domestic Animal Services ACT to produce what's called an Access Rights Card, which lists the legislation that access refusals are enforced under the associated penalties.
“We'll do everything we can, work with government and…the community to educate drivers,” she says.
Alongside the introduction of 13cabs Zero-Tolerance policy, the taxi company is also rolling out the following three policies:
- Trip Prioritisation: Passengers who note they are travelling with an assistance dog in the 13cabs app or via phone booking will now have their trip prioritised for dispatch.
- Driver Accountability: Drivers are reminded via in-app prompts that it is a criminal offence to refuse service to passengers with assistance dogs. If no vehicle is immediately available, a human dispatcher will intervene to secure a car.
- Enhanced Driver Training: A dedicated Assistance Animal module — focusing on etiquette, behaviour expectations, and legal obligations — has been added to all driver inductions and annual refresher courses, with a mandatory assessment component.
13cabs Chief Operating Officer, Olivia Barry, believes everyone deserves to travel with dignity.
“The rules have always been there, but the enforcement across the industry hasn't always matched the severity of the offense,” she says.
“We want to address those issues through these reforms and really try and change the culture.”