(Image: PA)
A County Durham taxi firm has said it is prepared to lose bookings rather than accept customers demanding they are "not sent Muslim or foreign drivers".
Nearby Taxis, which operates in Consett, has spoken out after saying its booking staff have received discriminatory requests from passengers.
The company said examples included customers saying: “Don’t send me a Muslim driver” and “I don’t want a foreign driver.”
It said these were genuine examples of the types of requests its booking teams had received and that the problem was something it had been dealing with “for far too long".
In a strongly worded statement, the firm said: “Racism has no place at Nearby Taxis.”
It added: “Our drivers come from different backgrounds, nationalities, cultures and religions.
“They work long hours, support their families and help thousands of people get where they need to be.
“Some were born and raised here. Others have made this country their home. But every single one deserves the same basic respect.”
The company stressed that passengers with genuine concerns about a driver or the service they received should still come forward, saying it would listen, investigate and take appropriate action.
However, it said there was a clear distinction between a legitimate complaint and refusing a driver because of their race, nationality or religion.
“Being Muslim does not make someone an unsafe driver,” the company said.
“Being foreign does not make someone less professional. And having a different background does not make someone less deserving of respect.”
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Nearby Taxis said neither its drivers nor booking staff should have to face racial or religious abuse while doing their jobs.
The firm added that it would “not accommodate discriminatory requests, even if that means losing a booking”.
It said the decision was not about creating controversy but about standing up for its staff, adding that the “overwhelming majority” of passengers treated its teams with kindness and respect.