Phil Sime says a driver at the Academy Street taxi rank in Inverness told him to wait, then drove off and left him with his guide dog. The Inverness Courier reported the account on 17 October 2026. Mr Sime is 53 and lives in Westhill. Striker, a black labrador, has been his guide dog for 10 years. In recent months, he and Striker have been refused a taxi in Inverness more than once.
At the rank
The latest incident was the week before the report, after a day's work. Mr Sime had spoken to the driver at the rank. The driver told him "just give me a few seconds". Mr Sime believed the driver was going to move forward so Striker could go in the boot, and that he was about to take them home. The driver then "literally just sped away".
A colleague told him what had happened. Without that, he would have stood there not knowing. There was no dialogue and no valid reason, and the driver had the chance to mention a medical exemption. An earlier refusal also came with no valid excuse. The paper does not name the driver.
"It was utterly humiliating. I was just looking to get home after a day's work. When taxi drivers sign up to be licensed, guide dog refusal is against the law. When someone does that you feel disabled. I don't feel like that in any other part of life. Having a guide dog is not an optional extra, he is my mobility aid. He is my only means of being able to access the town and everywhere else on an equal footing. To be refused is just not on, and something needs to be done about it."
City Taxis and the ranks
Mr Sime uses City Taxis every day to travel to and from work. Those drivers have always been fantastic, he told the Courier. They understand his disability and the assistance he needs when travelling on his own.
The refusals, he told the Courier, have left him vulnerable and anxious, and he no longer trusts public taxi ranks in Inverness as he once did. The experience has taken away some of his confidence and independence.
"I am now left with the worry of whether I can trust someone to do the right thing, or whether I could once again find myself standing alone, vulnerable and completely unaware of what is happening around me. No one should have to feel that level of uncertainty simply for trying to get home or travel to work safely."
What the council requires
Gavin Johnston, owner of Inverness Taxis, says the firm offers a dog-friendly service, with a pool of drivers happy to take dogs. Service dogs are different. Every driver registered in Scotland must take a service dog, with no extra cost for cleaning, under the Equality Act 2010. Only a driver with a medical exemption can refuse.
Mr Sime has contacted Highland Council, which issues the taxi licences.
The Equality Act 2010 requires licensed taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to carry assistance dogs. A driver may be exempt for medical reasons. A council spokesperson told the Courier the council cannot comment on an individual case, and that complaints of this nature are investigated by Trading Standards.
Highland Council sets out the same duty and the same medical exemption.