Irish Taxi Forum
Public Area => Taxi Talk => Topic started by: watty on February 10, 2026, 07:44:26 am
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If you're gonna break the law, don't do it in front of someone who can see and who can write down your licence plate!
Taxi drivers fined for refusing to carry blind man’s guide dog at Heuston Station (https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/taxi-drivers-fined-for-refusing-to-carry-blind-mans-guide-dog-at-heuston-station/a709706548.html)
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 53-year-old Vadim Kolessov, 53, residing at St. John's Well Way, Old Kilmainham Road, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty on Monday 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 Mr Clark and his visually impaired partner were exhausted when they arrived at Heuston Station from Cork on December 27, 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 €1000 and Kolessov €750, and further ordered each man to pay an additional €750 in prosecution costs.
Kolessov claimed he had asthma but didn't get his medical exemption before the incident. He now has an exemption cert.
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 within 12 months.
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There's none so blind as them that can't see.
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The same f**ker thinks an illiterate market trader is the messenger and prophet. Jesus wept! 8)