CABBIES QUESTION: Should licensed taxis MANDATORILY allow pets in their cabs?

Should all licensed taxis mandatorily allow pets into their taxis? No was the overwhelming response from cab drivers.

Taxi drivers across the UK currently allow four-legged friends into their vehicles at their own discretion, but there are some passengers out there looking for a more standardised service.

There is however one obvious exemption, assistance dogs. Guide dogs and animals assisting people MUST be mandatorily accepted by all taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers.

In December 2020, the Department for Transport (DfT) launched a package of disability equality training to improve the transport sector’s confidence and skills in delivering inclusive journeys for disabled passengers.

The Government also says they remain committed to introducing mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and PHV drivers through new National Minimum Standards for licensing authorities when Parliamentary time allows.

When taxi drivers were asked by TaxiPoint whether they would extend the welcome to all pets into their vehicles the vast majority rejected the idea.

Angel Snow said: “If a driver doesn't want an animal in the car, they shouldn't have to have one, they then have to get out an clean down their car afterwards for no extra money and potentially losing their next job, it's not fair.”

Jason White said: “It should be at driver discretion. Guide and assistance animals yes.”

Scott Hardie said: If they want to pay extra to cover the valet and time off doing it after their dogs have been in the car then a slight maybe but that would never happen.

Cabbie Husband Teasdale recited an incident where he let a pet enter his cab. He said: “I once let a well behaved Jack Russell in (so the owner said) it will just sit quite in the well. Yer right. 10 minutes later hair everywhere and the the state of the windows was unbelievable. It took me 30 minutes to clean the car and I had just come on shift.”

Cabbies rejecting the idea were mainly concerned about allergies to themselves and future passengers, and also the general cleanliness of their vehicles.

TaxiPoint Founder, Perry Richardson, said: “As a working London black cab driver I usually let all types of pets in. However, there have been exceptions and it should be the vehicles owner that decides on the risk.

“Dogs do sometimes get muddy (I’m talking REALLY muddy, not just wet paws!) and move about a lot throughout the journey. The end result is a cab that needs a full clean.

“Nervous, excited or young dogs can also occasionally chew, jump about and scratch seats, and ‘make a mess’ of a vehicle. It’s rare, but it does happen.

“So no it shouldn’t be mandatory and the driver should have a choice… however most pets are allowed in my cab.”