Local authorities have been told they need to make sure all taxis and private hire companies are fully aware of the rules regarding disabilities after another negative story hit the industry.

Jeanette Fyfe, a blind woman from Sale in Greater Manchester, spoke out after a driver refused to pick up her and her guide dog.

It meant the social worker missed an important doctor’s appointment and said she was left feeling “frustrated” and “powerless”.

“It’s a really important issue that is not being taken seriously by taxi firms,” she said. “The majority of guide dog users have experienced this. There is a major problem with taxis and guide dogs.”

The pick-up was booked with Sale firm Scott’s Cars but when the car arrived at her home she says the driver refused to stop. Now he has had his license revoked after Ms Fyfe, 40, lodged a complaint.

The story follows another where a woman and her disabled daughter were left out in the cold in Bristol when the city’s blue cabs refused to pick them up outside Bristol Temple Meads station.

Ms Fyfe, who is registered blind and has severely limited sight due to a rare genetic disorder known as retinitis pigmentosa, says cabbies have refused to pick up her black Labrador guide dog Otto on at least 10 occasions in the past, but the incident in May was the final straw.

She’s now urging other guide dog owners to report similar incidents to help stamp out the problem.

Last week the Rossendale council registered driver had his a cab licence revoked following a hearing, although he has 21 days to appeal. It is though he no longer works for the firm used by Ms Fyfe.

Fareed Baloch of zoom.taxi said, “it is illegal for drivers to refuse to pick up guide dogs unless they have a medical exemption certificate according to the Equality Act 2010.

“Disabled people have a greater need for taxis and private hire cars and it is important that people working in the industry know the rules,” he said.

“I find it concerning that there are drivers who will leave a blind woman by the side of the road and it unfortunately shows the whole industry in a bad light when in fact we know there are drivers out there who go out of their way to help other people. We only need to look at the work of the drivers in the City and their response to the terrorist attack, or other incidences where they have stepped in to stop potential child abuse, to know that drivers are community minded people.

“But it is important that they, the companies they work for and the authorities who issue the licenses know the law including their obligation to provide a service to people with special needs.

“It is these people who are most reliant and local authorities have a duty to make sure people who are granted a license undergo tests to ensure they know the law and training to spot potential CSE and terrorism related threats instead of a race to the bottom in licensing to make money from deregulation as we have seen in Wolverhampton.”

Councillor Steve Hughes, chair of Rossendale council’s licensing committee said: ‘We can confirm the licence of the driver in question has been revoked subject to appeal.’

But earlier this month research published by the charity Guide Dogs found the number of incidents has more than doubled in the last three years, from 66 refusals in 2013 to 126 in 2016.

James White, senior campaigns manager at Guide Dogs, said: “This discrimination is not only illegal, but it’s also a huge blow to people’s confidence and feelings of acceptance in society. Taxi and minicab drivers need to understand and abide by the law and welcome guide dogs and other assistance dogs into their vehicles.”

A guide to accessing taxis and minicabs for blind and partially sighted people by the Guide Dogs charity is available here