'Regrettable incident': Bus driver refuses to open door for blind person with dog

Une femme non voyante s’est vue refuser l’accès au bus à cause de son chien. MAXPPP – JEAN-PIERRE AMET – Illustration

In a society where inclusion should be the norm, some incidents remind us that progress still needs to be made. Near Orléans, a blind woman was refused access to a bus because of her guide dog, an incident that sparked emotion and reaction from transport network managers.

On Monday, August 26, 2024, Maryline, a blind woman, was waiting at the Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle town hall bus stop with her faithful guide dog. When the TAO network line 4 bus arrived, to her great amazement, the driver refused to open the door for her. According to the comments collected by France Bleu Orléans, Maryline nevertheless points out that “normally, guide dogs are allowed to board buses and trams”.

That day, it was the passengers who intervened so that Maryline could finally board. A situation that is difficult to accept, especially since she claims to have already experienced this type of mishap, despite the reports made by her daughter to the network managers.

A driver error recognized by TAO

The transport network manager, Keolis Orléans, was quick to react. The company described the event as a“regrettable incident” and acknowledged the driver's mistake. Antoine Lequeux, director of Keolis Orléans, explained that the latter had confused two separate rules: the ban on large dogs and the authorization of assistance dogs, such as guide dogs for the visually impaired. With around 600 drivers in the Orléans metropolitan area according to our colleagues, Antoine Lequeux stresses the importance of ongoing training and employee awareness to avoid such errors.

Measures to raise awareness and train staff

In response to this incident, Keolis Orléans took immediate action. An information note was sent to all drivers in the network to remind them that assistance dogs are allowed on board buses. But the initiative does not stop there. In September 2024, an awareness campaign will be launched, with the intervention of a person with a disability accompanied by their guide dog.

The objective: to ensure that this type of incident does not happen again and that drivers are fully aware of the rules in force concerning users with disabilities.