The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Disabled man’s bus complaint
A wheelchair-bound bus passenger claims he is frequently left in the street because the lifeline link from his village home arrives without a ramp.
One-legged Larry Bush (57) from Balbeggie has had to endure frustrating waits of up to two hours until a suitable bus arrives.
A WHEELCHAIR - BOUND bus passenger claims he is frequently left in the street because the lifeline link from his village home arrives without a ramp.
One-legged Larry Bush (57), from Balbeggie, has had to endure frustrating waits of up to two hours until a suitable bus arrives.
Mr Bush has to make the five-mile journey to the Fair City on a daily basis and relies on the No 57 Dundee to Perth bus, which passes through his village.
He said that since he had his leg removed in an operation a year ago, he has been forced to watch rampless coaches drive off without him 15 to 20 times.
He hit out after the latest incident, on Friday, saw two unsuitable buses show up in a row at Perth Bus Station.
He said: “It happens all the time. How do I know if the buses are going to turn up with steps? It should be ramps on every bus.
“This time I was told the bus was being worked on. The other week I waited two hours for a bus and then they both turned up one after another.
“One turned up at 11.20 and the one after that had steps as well.
“It’s absolute pot luck whether I can get on a bus or not.
“It’s happened 15 to 20 times in the last year and they don’t care two hoots.
“Once before they sent a bus out for me when the driver rang up and explained what had happened, but that was only once.
“They should have done that this time and not left me stranded.
“I have to get in and out of Balbeggie on the bus every day and because of this I’ve missed appointments and just been left in the street.”
A Stagecoach spokeswoman said easy access buses will be provided where advertised unless there are “exceptional circumstances”.
She said more disabled access buses will soon be made available.
“Earlier this year customers on this route benefited from the early delivery of some new vehicles which were to be involved in London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“These six new low floor vehicles have now all returned to our local fleet and will remain on the 57 route, so any vehicle substitutions should be even less likely going forward.
“The Government requires all buses to be fully wheelchair accessible by 2016 and we are well advanced with this, with 85% of our fleet being low floor or wheelchair equipped.”