TransLink is apologizing after a woman, who is hearing impaired and suffers from vertigo, wasn’t allowed on a bus because of her service dog.
Lisa Arlin went to get on a bus in New Westminster on Wednesday afternoon but says she was surprised when the driver refused to let her on due to her new dog Charlie.
She has a medical certificate from her doctor identifying the service dog but lacks the signifying vest. The dog is not certified by any service animal agencies.
According to Arlin, the driver told her she was holding up the bus and then told her to get off even after she told him she had a certificate.
“I was crying, I was upset, I was very humiliated and I didn’t know what to do,” she said.
Arlin also has a yearly pass identifying herself as someone with a disability. She is completely deaf in one ear and has a hearing aid in the other.
“People with disabilities who have service dogs are entitled to ride the bus without discrimination and without being humiliated,” said Arlin.
Arlin has submitted a complaint to TransLink and is filing a claim with a Human Rights Tribunal.
CTV Vancouver followed her as she attempted to get on seven buses in Surrey on Thursday night. Four followed TransLink policy and let her on after she identified Charlie as a service dog and provided a medical certificate.
However, three drivers weren’t as accommodating.
“You cannot bring the dog onto a bus like this,” said one driver to her.
None of the seven drivers actually asked to read the medical certificate she tried to provide as proof.
TransLink’s vice-president of communications was quick to condemn the behaviour from drivers.
“This is really serious and it’s actually very disturbing when we hear things like this and we take it very seriously,” said Colleen Brennan.
Brennan told CTV News that a vest is not necessary if there is a medical certificate identifying the dog as a service animal.
TransLink said it would be issuing a bulletin to its drivers on Friday morning to remind them about protocol when faced with a service dog.
On Friday, after it became clear that Arlin's dog does not have the specific certification required in TransLink's rules, but rather a medical certification issued by a doctor, the company said it is investigating her complaint.
"We have an ongoing dialogue with the customer, and we've asked the customer to provide us with a copy of the certificate she showed to the operator," TransLink said in a statement on Friday.
With files from CTV Vancouver’s Penny Daflos
