TWO DUBLIN TAXI drivers have been convicted and fined for refusing to carry a blind and visually impaired couple because they had a guide dog.
Abiodun Dongo (58), of Cappaghfinn Road, Finglas, Dublin 11 and Vadim Kolessov (53), residing at St John’s Well Way, Old Kilmainham Road, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty today to charges under the Taxi Regulation Act.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) prosecuted them at Dublin District Court following a complaint by Anthony Clark, who is completely blind and depends on his guide dog.
The court heard that Clark and his visually impaired partner were exhausted when they arrived at Heuston Station from Cork on 27 December 2024, and the two drivers would not take the dog in their taxis.
However, the severely upset couple had been assisted from the train station to the taxi rank by an Iarnród Éireann official who jotted down the registration plate numbers of both cars.
Convicting them, Judge Anthony Halpin described both taxi drivers’ attitude toward two vulnerable people as “disappointing and wholly unacceptable”.
He fined Dongo €1,000 and Kolessov €750, and further ordered each man to pay an additional €750 in prosecution costs.
NTA solicitor Jason Teahan prosecuted and outlined the facts; he said the evidence covered both taxi drivers who faced the same charge.
Joe Williams, one of the Irish Rail staff who help people with mobility issues, knew them and brought them to the rank outside the station to help hail a taxi.
They were “absolutely shattered from their trip”.
Williams first brought them and the dog to Dongo’s car, but he refused to take the two passengers, telling them, “I’m not taking the dog.” The court heard his reason was that he was allergic to dogs.
Judge Halpin was told that father of five Dongo then collected another passenger and “took off”.
Because of that refusal, Clark, with the help of the Irish Rail staff member, went to Kolessov’s car next in line, and “equally they were refused, citing similar reasons”.
Teahan said the second driver later made representations about his asthma condition, and he would have been granted an exemption had he notified the NTA in advance of his licence application.
“The guide dog has been rejected, and therefore Mr Clark cannot get into the vehicle, minus the guide dog”, Teahan said, stressing the two drivers took other passengers instead.
Mr Clark and the woman got another taxi, on the third time of asking, with the assistance of Mr Williams, described as the “linchpin in the evidence”.
“They were exceptionally upset not only by being refused once but twice in quick succession,” Teahan told the court.
He said that he was not suggesting it was a prevalent issue, but added that Clark cites it as a problem.
When contacted by the NTA, Dongo did not respond to the complaint in “any way, shape or form”, Kolessov explained it was due to his asthma condition and claimed dogs cause problems for him.
He subsequently provided a picture of his medication, which the prosecution and judge accepted as evidence that he was asthmatic.
Kolessov, who represented himself, has since been granted an exemption from carrying a guide dog on account of his medical condition, and he apologised to Clark in court.
Eoin Heffernan BL, for Dongo, said his client still maintained he had explained to the couple that he had been unwell and feared he might get sick if the dog came in the car.
Neither driver paid fixed penalty notice fines of €250 each, prompting the NTA to escalate the case to a court prosecution with harsher penalties.
The offence is punishable by a maximum fine of €2,500.
The pair had previously indicated they would contest the case, but changed their plea shortly before the hearing was about to begin.
Judge Halpin reduced the fines from the maximum due to the guilty pleas, the lack of prior convictions, and information presented to the court in mitigation.
The fines and costs must be paid within 12 months.
