Ref. 29774-16MINICAB drivers who refuse to accept fares from guide dog owners now face fines of up to £1,000.

Until now many blind people, who rely on their specially trained dogs to get around, have faced a lottery when trying to book private-hire cabs.

Since the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act, which came into force in 1997, licensed taxi drivers have risked prosecution for refusing fares on the basis of a disability.

But private-hire cabbies have been exempt until now.

Yesterday Tony McNulty, the Government's Transport Minister, announced that any driver caught refusing a fare or attempting to charge extra for the dogs would be breaking the law.

Granville Gray, the chairman of the Swindon branch of the Guide Dogs For The Blind Association, welcomed the move.

Mr Gray, 49, who works for Zurich Financial Services, commutes to Swindon from his home in Westbury each day.

He relies heavily on both his dog and on public transport.

He feels the new law was necessary to weed out the minority who discriminate.

Mr Gray said: "The vast majority are fine.

"Although I use the train to get to work I do use cabs quite regularly to get about.

"There have been a number of occasions where I have faced long walks and waits because drivers have refused to take me.

"Earlier this year I had to walk two-and-a-half miles through strong wind and rain because a driver wouldn't take me and my dog."

Chris Scott, of the Talking Newspaper Association, based in Victoria Road, also welcomed the new law.

He said: "Anything that helps to bring someone with a disability into the wider community has got to be a good thing."

And John Gardener, the manager of Millennium private-hire taxis, pledged to throw his weight behind the law.

He said: "We have always been more than happy to accept people with disabilities at Millennium. All we ask is for people to tell us beforehand and we will ensure a suitable driver is sent we recognise that some of our drivers may be allergic to dogs.

"If I found any of my drivers discriminating against somebody with a disability I would come down on them like a ton of bricks."

Kevin Shoesmith