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Section 170 Assistance dogs in private hire vehicles

England, Wales and Scotland

(1)

The operator of a private hire vehicle commits an offence by failing or refusing to accept a booking for the vehicle—

(a)

if the booking is requested by or on behalf of a disabled person or a person who wishes to be accompanied by a disabled person, and

(b)

F1the reason for the failure or refusal is—

(i)

that the disabled person will be accompanied by an assistance dog, or

(ii)

to prevent the driver of the private hire vehicle being made subject to a duty which would otherwise be imposed on the driver by this section.

(2)

The operator F2or driver of a private hire vehicle commits an offence by making F3, or proposing to make, an additional charge for carrying an assistance dog which is accompanying a disabled person.

(3)

The driver of a private hire vehicle commits an offence by failing or refusing to carry out a booking accepted by the operator—

(a)

if the booking is made by or on behalf of a disabled person or a person who wishes to be accompanied by a disabled person, and

(b)

the reason for the failure or refusal is that the disabled person is accompanied by an assistance dog.

(4)

A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(5)

In this section—

  • “driver” means a person who holds a licence under—

    1. section 13 of the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 F4...,

    2. section 51 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 F5..., or

    3. an equivalent provision of a local enactment;

  • “licensing authority”, in relation to any area in England and Wales, means the authority responsible for licensing private hire vehicles in that area;

  • F6...

  • ...

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1

S. 170(1)(b) substituted (28.6.2022) by Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022 (c. 29), ss. 5(3)(a), 6(2)

F2

Words in s. 170(2) inserted (28.6.2022) by Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022 (c. 29), ss. 5(3)(b)(i), 6(2)

F3

Words in s. 170(2) inserted (28.6.2022) by Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022 (c. 29), ss. 5(3)(b)(ii), 6(2)

F4

Words in s. 170(5) omitted (28.6.2022) by virtue of Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022 (c. 29), ss. 5(3)(c)(i), 6(2)

F5

Words in s. 170(5) omitted (28.6.2022) by virtue of Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022 (c. 29), ss. 5(3)(c)(ii), 6(2)

F6

Words in s. 170(5) omitted (28.6.2022) by virtue of Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022 (c. 29), ss. 5(3)(c)(iii), 6(2)