West Northamptonshire licensed taxi driver fined after driving past woman with assistance dog
- Perry Richardson
- 12 minutes ago
- 1 min read
A private hire driver who refused to pick up a woman and her assistance dog in Shenley Church End has been hit with a series of penalties after investigators confirmed he drove straight past her without even slowing down.
Milton Keynes City Council launched a probe after the shocked passenger reported that Mr Musthafa, licensed by West Northants Council, ignored her at Benbow Court and continued driving.
The council found that he made no attempt to stop, despite the legal duty placed on licensed drivers to accept assistance dog users.
In October 2025, he appeared before Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court and admitted the offence. He was ordered to pay a £405 fine, a £162 victim surcharge and £600 in costs. The court also told him to hand £200 in compensation to the victim.
UK law makes it a criminal offence for taxi and private hire drivers to refuse assistance dog users unless they hold a medical exemption. No such exemption applied in this case.
West Northants Council will now decide whether the driver keeps his licence.
Councillor Mick Legg, Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services, said people who rely on assistance dogs should never face treatment of this kind and urged anyone else who has been refused a journey to come forward. He made clear that the council expects strict compliance across the sector.
