Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Anger at bus refusal
Mum says driver told her to get off of coach
A DUNDEE wheelchair user said she was left feeling “humiliated” after security staff removed her from a bus service travelling to Dundee.
Lyndsay Bremner, 39, from Kirkton, was eventually sent home to Dundee via a taxi paid for by National Express.
The mother of four claims the driver of the bus she was scheduled to travel home on refused to let her board at Buchanan Bus Station in Glasgow.
Speaking today she said she felt discriminated against by the driver.
Lyndsay, who suffers from ArnoldChiari malformation, had surgery on her skull which left her paralysed down her left-hand side six years ago.
The former Kirkton High pupil is now dependent on her wheelchair and had made arrangements with National Express prior to the return journey from Dundee to Glasgow.
She said: “When I booked the tickets online they asked me the model of the wheelchair and the weight of it. When I arrived at Seagate Bus Station I couldn’t fault the service from National Express.
“They had removed a passenger chair to allow me to gain access to the bus. I was on within five minutes.”
Problems arose when Lyndsay — who arrived prior to departure time — was refused access to the return journey service travelling back to Dundee. She claims the driver point-blank refused her access to the coach.
She said: “He initially said I wasn’t getting on, then he said he didn’t have the tools to remove the seat to allow me access.”
Lyndsay claims a competitor bus company driver removed the seat on the driver’s behalf to allow her access to the service.
She said: “We got the ramp set up to get me on but I couldn’t get in securely and the driver has called on security and said I was being aggressive.”
Lyndsay was then met by four security staff and taken away from the platform.
She said: “They tried to get me on an alternative bus but I needed to be home for my children at a certain time.
“I wasn’t in a position to wait on another service so National Express paid for a taxi to get me home.”
A National Express spokesman said: “We take our commitment to accessible travel very seriously and are investigating what gave rise to the issues encountered by Lyndsay. Although far from ideal, we are however pleased to note staff were able to act fast to make arrangements to ensure Lyndsay could still travel to her destination.”