Hove man with guide dog tells of being 'refused' Uber rides

Tariq Ahmad, 34, from Hove, says he experiences various forms of discrimination “on a daily basis” and wishes people were “better educated”. 

Tariq told The Argus that he is regularly asked to leave shops because of his guide dog, Trine, who he has had for a year now. 

However, he says that the most common instance of discrimination is Uber drivers not allowing his dog to enter their vehicle. 

He said: “The education is overwhelmingly non existent, I’ve only had my guide dog for a year and she has changed my life but it’s opened my eyes to the discrimination.

Tariq and his dog

“I always clicked the ‘assistance’ option on the app and sometimes they would cancel before they picked me up, so I’ve stopped doing it.”

Tariq says he uses private cars around four to six times a week and he is refused service around two to five times a week. 

He said: “Once a driver said he wouldn’t let her in because of his leather seats and she couldn’t go in the boot because he had stuff in there. I said ‘she is getting in, I’ll put a blanket on’ and he kept saying no.

“He was giving me a really hard time. He did change his mind but it was a really hard fight to win.

“Sometimes I have to say - and I hate doing this - ‘it is illegal to refuse me’ and sometimes I have to tell them it is a hate crime.”

Tariq says that he finds his mental health is impacted by these kinds of incidents.

He said: “It chips away at you, I am a happy bubbly person and it’s starting to go a bit because it’s so difficult. I would love for there to be more education.

“I am vision impaired and not blind, so a lot of people have different views about that, people only see it in black and white.

“It can be so overwhelming and have an effect on your mental health.”

He says when he has taken his issue to Uber for a resolution he has not had much success.

Tariq said: “When I phoned to make a complaint they said they would take it as ‘feedback’, and not as a complaint. It’s ridiculous.”

A Uber spokesman said: “It is totally unacceptable for drivers to refuse to take a guide dog and we investigate every report. 

“Licensed private hire drivers must carry service animals in their vehicle. 

“We highlight this obligation to all drivers before they start using the Uber app and often send reminders. “Any driver who is found to have refused to take a service animal faces permanent removal from the app.”

Tariq says he also faces the same issues with taxi drivers in and around the city.