ADA Service Animals

Florida Taxi company agrees to transport people who use service animals

On February 21, 2008, the owner and operator of Golden Cab Corporation in West Palm Beach, Florida, entered into a settlement agreement with the Department resolving a complaint alleging that the company had refused to provide a taxi ride to a passenger because she was accompanied by her service animal. The Office of the State Attorney, Fifteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida, which had referred the complaint to the Department of Justice, was also a party to the settlement.

In the agreement, Golden Cab agreed to adopt a series of written policies which include the following:

1) Golden Cab’s drivers may not refuse to transport a person with a disability because that person is accompanied by a service animal or charge that person an additional fee because of the presence of a service animal;

2) Golden Cab will distribute the new policies in writing to all present and future reservation call-takers, dispatchers, cab drivers, and other employees or contractors whose duties involve contact with Golden Cab’s customers;

3) Golden Cab will provide training in the new policies to all present and future reservation call-takers, dispatchers, cab drivers, and other employees or contractors whose duties involve contact with Golden Cab’s customers;

4) Golden Cab will require that all if its dispatched cab drivers and all other individuals using vehicles owned or leased by Golden Cab post a sign stating that people with disabilities who are accompanied by service animals are welcome in all Golden Cabs (the posting must be printed in 26 or greater point font and be posted in a location on the inside or outside of each taxi where it can be seen readily by potential passengers;

5) Golden Cab will require full compliance with this new service animal policy in the terms of any new, amended, or renewed contract between Golden Cab and any driver who is dispatched by Golden Cab and/or any other person using a vehicle owned or leased by Golden Cab;

6) Golden Cab will promptly investigate each oral or written complaint it receives which alleges inappropriate treatment of a person with a disability who is accompanied by a service animal; and

7) Golden Cab will impose sanctions for violation(s) of its new service animal policy and, if there is a violation, will provide $1,000 in compensation to the complainant as well as pay $1,000 in civil penalties to the government.