People with disabilities will have free access, with guide dogs, to public transportation, restaurants, hotels, shops, and public institutions – as provided by a legislative initiative adopted unanimously on Tuesday by the Romanian Chamber of Deputies.
The project had already passed the Senate in October, with the Chamber being the final decision-making body, so the law is now going for promulgation.
People with disabilities will not have to pay additional fees or tariffs for their guide dog accompanying them.
"Guide dogs will be able to be with their owners wherever they need them. Unfortunately, in Romania, there are only 70 guide dogs, and it takes two years to train such a dog.
What was voted today is just a piece, a beginning for people with disabilities to fully participate in all activities of society," said Senator Silvia Dinică, as quoted by Mediafax.
The initiative also stipulates that people with disabilities will be exempt from paying the homologation fee for specially modified vehicles, to be driven by people with disabilities. This fee amounts to 1,600 lei.
Moreover, the refusal of a taxi driver (or alternative transportation means) to ensure access for a person with a disability and their mobility device, including a guide dog, constitutes a case of discrimination.