From 1st of October 2010 the duties placed on taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers and on PHV operators to carry guide dogs and other assistance dogs, will transfer from the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to the Equality Act 2010.
In practice, the duties will remain exactly the same as they are now.
Any person who is currently exempt from the duty to carry an assistance dog on medical grounds will continue to be exempt.
Central Government have made a change in the law so that all existing exemption certificates, and all existing exemption notices, remain in force as though they had been made under the Equality Act 2010.
Will I Have to Take a Different Approach to the Carriage of Assistance Dogs from 1 October 2010?
No. The change is a purely technical one; the duties to carry assistance dogs will not change at all.
I Have an Exemption Certificate Which Says that it Was Issued under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 – Do I Have to Get a New One?
No, you do not have to get a new certificate; the certificate which you have been granted remains valid until its expiry date.
I Have a Special Notice in my Taxi/PHV Which Says That I am Exempt from Carrying Guide Dogs and Mentions the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 – Do I Need to Get a New One?
No, you do not have to get a new exemption notice; the notice which was provided by the licensing authority remains valid until its expiry date.
