Verona – The president of the Fish onlus (the Italian Federation for overcoming the handicap)Vincenzo Falabella, presented to the commander of the local police of Verona a detailed statement on the incident that took place on Friday evening at the taxi stand of the Verona Porta Nuova station. Falabella was taken out of a taxi because he was in a wheelchair and forced to take another vehicle, in front of dozens of people and in the rain. Another aspect that the local police will have to ascertain is the reason why the taxi driver gave Falabella a different license number, but he took a photo of the car.
Criminal offense and violated regulation
In addition to the criminal aspects for the offense of interruption of public service, it should be remembered that the regulation for the public service of transporting people and baggage with cars, in service from the square of the Municipality of Verona, also provides for the suspension or revocation of the license for the most serious cases.
The indignation of the minister
The reaction of the Minister to Disabilities lasts, Erika Stefani: “It happens that, when disability becomes visible, a part of our society still perceives it as a problem. This mentality led a taxi driver from Verona to deny service to Vicenzo Falabella, the president of Fish, when he realized that for moving around uses a wheelchair. A vehicle like any other, which has caused a prejudice that people with disabilities should get into cars ‘reserved for them’. It is absurd to think that for some people there is still a ‘them’. There are no reasons to refuse a service to a person with disabilities: good manners and respect are enough “.