From 24hrs today: Blind man gets $2,500 settlement

A blind Vancouver man received a $2,500 settlement from North Shore Taxi Inc. after a cab driver refused to transport him and his certified guide dog.

Taxi driver Behzad Saidy refused to transport Bruce Gilmour and his guide dog in January 2006 because his Muslim faith prevents him from associating with dogs on the basis that they are unclean.

Gilmour then filed a complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, alleging discrimination.

Since then, the parties have agreed to resolve this issue by balancing the rights of a blind person with a guide dog to obtain taxi service with the rights of a Muslim cab driver to follow his personal religious beliefs.

Today, North Shore Taxi Inc. has established a policy that states the driver must “remain with the blind person and guide dog until a cab with a competent driver arrives and picks up that person and dog for transportation to his/her destination.”

Half of North Shore Taxi’s cabs were previously designated “no pet car” vehicles, said Gilmour’s lawyer Naz Mitha.

“It is certainly our hope that other companies will follow in suit with this policy and this agreement because we believe it strikes an appropriate balance between the rights of blind passengers with guide dogs and religious cab drivers,” Mitha said.

- Ethan Ribalkin, 24 hours