Pledge signed to improve buses for the city’s blind
BLIND and partially sighted people’s access to public transport has taken a “major step forward” after Glasgow’s bus services agreed to endorse a national charity’s campaign.
At the Riverside Museum, a charter to improve services for visually impaired people was signed to signify the support for improvements.
City service providers committing themselves to the cause included First, Citylink, McGill’s and Stagecoach.
Brought forward by the Royal National Institute of Blind People, James Allan of the charity said: “There are millions of bus trips every year in Glasgow and thousands of Glaswegians living with sight loss.
“This commitment will increase the awareness and training of bus drivers which over time will enhance the accessibility of bus travel for blind and partially sighted people across Glasgow and Scotland.
“The better the experience of bus travel, the more likely people with sight loss are to use buses – and this helps ends isolation and engages people in the community. The signing is a major step forward.”
The charter commits the city’s bus operators to changes which would make public transport easier such as approaching and leaving stops slowly and make frequent announcements on the location of the bus.
The advances in making transport easier for those with disabilities was said to be caused by the advances in technology now available to service providers.
Mr Allan added: “We can now ensure we have a fully inclusive bus service for the 21st century.”
George Mair, director of the Confederation of Passenger Transport Scotland, said: “The bus industry is responsible for three quarters of all public transport trips in Scotland.
“As such, it is hugely important that bus services are accessible to all.”