PROPERTY SEARCH
ARCHIVED - Deafblind man refused entry to a Renfe bus to Lorca because he was travelling with his guide dog
The coach driver of the replacement bus service stopped the Murcia man from entering because he was with his dog
A 40-year-old deaf-blind man in Murcia was barred from entering one of the Renfe coaches that are replacing commuter trains because he was travelling with his guide dog.
Óscar Manuel López Canales said that he wanted to travel from Murcia to Lorca on the bus and that when he tried to get on with his guide dog, a black Labrador named Wendolyn, the driver prevented him from doing so on several occasions, even pushing him down the steps of the bus.
López Canales showed the driver his dog’s documentation, allowing him to access all public places with his pet, but the bus driver still denied him access.
The guide dog user card certifies that a person is allowed to take their seeing-eye dog with them to any public space, except for a hospital ICU or operating theatre.
Mr López Canales, who has impaired vision, noticed that other passengers on the bus approached the driver to reproach him for his behaviour, while the driver contacted a company representative by mobile phone to consult him about the facts.
According to Renfe, which has opened a file to find out what happened, guide and assistance dogs always travel free of charge without any weight or transport limitation, both on the train and on the bus in the event that there is no rail connection for any reason, in this case, due to building work.
Finally, the driver allowed Mr López to enter the bus and he was able to travel to his destination in Lorca without receiving any apology, for which he is studying the possibility of filing a complaint, since he took photographs and videos of the incident with his mobile phone.
The complaint coincided tragically with the commemoration of International Guide Dog Day on Wednesday April 27.
Image: Archive
staff.inc.ali
Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin and get an email with all the week’s news straight to your inbox
Special offer: Subscribe now for 25% off (36.95 euros for 48 Bulletins)
OR
you can sign up to our FREE weekly roundup!
Read some of our recent bulletins:
Discount Special Offer subscription:
36.95€ for 48 Editor’s Weekly News Roundup bulletins!
Please CLICK THE BUTTON to subscribe.
(List price 3 months 12 Bulletins)
Read more stories from around Spain:
