Filenews 23 January 2026 - by Michalis Chatzivasilis
The legislative consolidation of the right of people with disabilities to be accompanied by guide dogs in all public and private spaces open to the public, as well as in public or private public transport, without additional charge and conditions, is proposed by the Commissioner for Administration.
In her Report, after an ex officio investigation and after publications about the problems faced by these people, Commissioner Maria Stylianou Lottides finds, after an investigation, a legislative gap in Cyprus, regarding the issue, resulting in a uproar: Some allow guide dogs to enter their premises and others do not. In fact, there is a case of coffee in a forest park where he prohibited the entry of a guide dog because it was mentioned in the lease agreement he signed.
The Report emphasizes that guide/assistance dogs are not pets. For people with disabilities and, in particular, blind people, they are and are recognized as specialized mobility aids, which, through long-term training, offer safety, self-confidence and independence to their operators, allowing them to participate equally in social, professional and cultural life. Therefore, it is stated, their legislative consolidation is a fundamental issue of human rights and social inclusion, as it directly concerns the daily life and autonomy of people with disabilities. On the contrary, the lack of a clear, uniform and adequately enforced legal framework often leads to exclusionary phenomena, such as the denial of access to means of transport, public spaces or service areas.
What applies today
➢ In the hotel sector, it is up to the respective business entity to allow entry to guide dogs.
➢ At the level of public transport, in accordance with the relevant European Regulation, guide dogs for visually impaired people are allowed to travel in public passenger transport with regular buses, as long as they have the health booklet with them. However, the Ministry of Transport has added the condition that guide dogs should be on a leash and muzzle, as a measure so that the dog's behaviour is controlled by its handler, which in most cases does not require the use of a leash and muzzle, since it is a properly trained animal. There have been, as reported by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, complaints about a ban on the transport of guide dogs on intercity buses, unless they are placed in the luggage compartment.
➢ At the level of private transport, e.g. by tourist coaches or taxis, there is no legal provision for the right of people with disabilities to be accompanied by their guide dogs. It is therefore at the discretion of the company or driver concerned to decide.
➢ In catering establishments (restaurants, cafes, cafes and other leisure centres), business managers must exempt guide dogs for the blind and other people with disabilities from the prohibition of entry and transport in the areas where the public sits, provided that these dogs are trained for this purpose.
The Commissioner finds a legislative gap in relation to the right of people with disabilities, which is why she proposes its regulation so that "people with disabilities accompanied by guide dogs do not constantly face the risk of being excluded from places that are open to other persons and therefore suffering prohibited discrimination on the basis of their disability".
Mrs. Lottides forwarded her Report to the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and the Attorney General for his information, while on the issue of the institutionalization of a process of training and certification of guide dogs, she asks that the Deputy Ministry cooperate with the Cyprus Confederation of People with Disabilities and the Pancyprian Organization of the Blind.
