The following letter is published in today's Leicester Mercury:
Treatment of disabled gives cause to worry
I read with great interest that East Midlands Ambulance Service has missed out on a £130m contract to provide non-emergency patient transport services in the region.
I must say it came as no surprise taking into account the regular complaints of lateness often mentioned in this paper. What did come as a surprise was to find that Arriva Passenger Services Ltd (yes that is Arriva buses) won the contract for this area. As a disabled wheelchair user I find that worrying. Arriva buses are a complete nightmare to use with a wheelchair. I have been told by one driver "sorry you cannot use the ramp we do not get trained on it." Another stated: "You can't get on, the ramp is faulty." Some of the drivers could not be more helpful but some see us as a hindrance.
If this is the treatment of disabled people on their public transport what assurance – other than at the moment the present EMAS staff will be absorbed in the transfer – have we the treatment be any better under Arriva's management?
Andy Murtha , Enderby.
This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:
Misery on the buses for the blind
Rude and unhelpful bus drivers are causing misery for blind and visually impaired people, according to a survey.
Hundreds of people reported problems with bus services in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland as they responded to a survey carried out by Leicester charity Vista, which helps those with sight loss.
Many described particularly bad experiences of drivers failing to stop to let them on board or even verbally abusing them.
Hazel Mayles, of Coalville, reported an instance of having the door shut on one bus while her guide dog was on board but she was not.
She said: "I was left alone, disorientated and holding the lead. If I hadn't have let go of the lead I would have been pulled under the bus.
"I went back a few days later only to find the same bus driver driving past hurling a load of abuse at me.
"Since this I have been afraid to use any bus services."
This was the first survey carried out by Vista into public services, such as transport.
Some 43 per cent of the 2,800 respondents reported problems with bus services.
A woman from Scraptoft, who did not want to be named, described how what should have been a 30-minute journey to Kibworth took more than two hours when buses refused to stop for her.
Sue Allen, sensory impairment trainer at Vista, commissioned the survey.
She said: "It's a pretty big problem and there are a lot of different problems too."It takes long enough for visually impaired people to get from A to B without buses not stopping for them, so it's not very good at all. Once someone's confidence in using public transport is shot it takes a lot of work to get them to do that kind of thing again.
"It only takes one incident to have that effect – it's just absolutely appalling."In her role, Sue said she had rarely had a positive experience of taking a blind person on a bus.
She has contacted numerous companies including Arriva and Centrebus, but says she has had no response.
She added: "The way to go is for us to get bus companies to train their staff."
David Shelley, commercial director at Centrebus, said he was personally unaware of any contact from Vista.
He said: "We provide good training for our drivers and I've not seen anything relating to blind people with regards to the conduct of our staff.
"I absolutely insist all customers' comments come into my office and are reported by myself to our board of directors on a monthly basis."
An Arriva spokesman said: "Our drivers are trained to look for signals from passengers, however they also receive extensive training for passengers with disabilities using our services.
"If there are incidents we would like to know so we can investigate further."
This letter is published in today's Leicester Mercury:
Arriva, clean up your act
I write with reference to Lorna Crane's letter highlighting the attitude of Arriva bus drivers towards disabled people (Mailbox, March ).
I am not permanently disabled but have twice, during the last 12 months, broken wrist bones, thus preventing me from driving, and more or less forcing me to travel on Arriva transport.
What an unpleasant experience it was – mainly due to the attitude of the drivers. Nearly all, with very few exceptions, were surly, morose and looked as if they would rather die than break into a smile.
I realise they can work unsociable hours in difficult traffic conditions, but their attitude as I boarded buses actually put me on a "downer". Very few said a cheery "hello" even when most passengers were pleasant both getting on and off buses (the only exception to this was a very friendly mixed-race or coloured driver who was always cheerful and pleasant).
If Arriva wish people to travel on their buses, they should clean up their act. The fares are astronomical.
The buses are often dirty (not to mention often not on time or being missed out completely).
Together with the reception received from their staff (which I consider of utmost importance) surely people cannot be blamed for using their cars.
I, for one, even as an able-bodied person, will avoid travelling on their buses whenever I can.
Ella Meah, Leicestershire.
This letter is published in today's Leicester Mercury:
Real hassle on the buses
I have read the story "Bus drivers humiliated me, says disabled man" (Mercury, February 19).
I received a questionnaire this week from Vista, the blind and partially-sighted people's organisation, asking if they could try to make things better with things like buses, airports, shops and banks, where people have difficulties.
I have emphasised buses, as some of the drivers, not all, are ignorant.
Getting on and off buses when you are disabled is a problem. I am partially sighted. I walk with a stick because I have walking difficulties as well and also carry a shopping bag.
When you ask the drivers to let the bus down, they just ignore you or look at you as if you are not there.
I always emphasise the words "please" and "thank you" when I ask someone to do something for me. I always taught my children good manners cost nothing but it falls on deaf ears with some drivers.
On Narborough Road where the big car showroom is, some of the buses come from the slip road at the side of the motorway. They don't even bother to pull in at the bus stop kerb. They stop in the middle of the road and don't bother to let the bus down. I have very often had to let the bus go and wait for the one that comes round the corner of Braunstone Lane as they do stop and pull into the kerb.
Now I get a taxi if I'm going into town. It's less hassle but more money as I have a free bus pass.
Maybe some more disabled people could write in and perhaps Arriva could sort these ignorant bus drivers out; and it's not just disabled people – it's mums with prams. I've heard drivers shouting at them because the prams are in the way.
Buses are supposed to be a service for the people of Leicester not just a job for a driver. What's happened to courtesy these days? I'll answer that myself. Gone down the drain with "please" and "thank you".
Lorna K Crane, Braunstone South
This article is published in today's Leiceter Mercury:
Bus drivers humilated me, says disabled man
A disabled man says he has been “humiliated and degraded” by bus drivers who refused to lower the wheelchair ramp to their vehicles.
Mark Richardson, 48, and his partner Donna Hutchison, 43, said they had been involved in six incidents of discrimination on Arriva buses since Christmas.
The couple, from Shelthorpe Road, Loughborough, said that last week one driver refused to lower the disabled ramp on the bus and insisted Donna lifted 20-stone Mark on to the bus.
They said when she refused, the driver insisted every passenger got off the bus, before driving away.
Mark has been using a wheelchair since doctors discovered a tumour in his stomach last February.
The tumour burst and Mark spent months in intensive care, where he developed myopathy, a condition in which the muscle nerve endings do not function, leaving him with barely any feeling in his legs.
He said: “After all I’ve been through, this is not what I need.
“It was so undermining and humiliating for me.
“There is no way they would have treated me like that before I was disabled.
“I’m determined not to be forced to stay indoors. Why should I?
“I was in hospital for so long, I’ll be damned if I’m staying in the house because of the arrogance of some driver.”
The couple use the bus to get to hospital appointments in Loughborough and for other trips.
Donna said that last month a driver did not know how to use the ramp and insisted she carry Mark on to the bus.
She said her request to use the ramp to get off the bus was declined and she twisted the frame of Mark’s chair while trying to get him out.
She said: “We had to call the hospital out to repair the chair.
“It was so humiliating when the driver refused to lower the ramp and chucked everyone off.
“He told me he would lift Mark on but I said no. What if he had been tipped out of his chair?
“I told him I was not getting off the bus until he lowered the ramp so he turned round and shouted to the other passengers ‘right we’re not going anywhere, everyone off’.
“The worst bit was nobody said anything. They just stared at us as they walked past. It was heartbreaking.
“I cried my eyes out when we got home.
“What’s the point of having a ramp if they don’t use it?”
The couple have made two complaints to Arriva and said they had to wait 10 to 14 days for a response.
A spokesman for Arriva said it was aware of complaints and would be carrying out an investigation.
He said: “We will be carrying out an interview with the driver or drivers concerned and I am sure we can come to a solution.”
This letter is published in today's Leicester Mercury:
Most buses now disabled-friendly
Regarding the letter from Val London ("Problems faced by the disabled", Mailbox, June 18) I have a few comments to make.
Bus operators have until 2017 to make all their fleets "disabled- friendly", not 2012, though most operators are well ahead of this deadline, Arriva Midlands among them.The only Arriva routes in our area still normally worked by "step entrance" buses are the X3 to Market Harborough, 80 (University Halls of Residence) and 152/153 (Leicester-Desford-Coalville/Market Bosworth).
Regarding service coaches, National Express are putting "disabled-friendly" coaches on many of their routes now, with more to come. The Disability Discrimination Act only covers vehicles used on scheduled services, so private hire and touring coaches are not covered by it.
I wish Val and people with disabilities well. I hope these details help.
Terry Kirby, Campaign for Better Transport (Leicestershire)
This letter is published in today's Leicester Mercury:
Problems faced by the disabled
Well done Alex Squire (First Person, June 11) for highlighting some of the shortcomings that wheelchair users have to put up with.
There are many places in Leicester where they flout the Disability Discrimination Act, but there are some places where it cannot be enacted. For example, I bank at Lloyds and my branch was High Street. There is no wheelchair access, but they are not allowed to alter the building because it carries a preservation order.
Their branch in Horsefair Street is accessible and until recently it had a dedicated counter for the disabled which could be used without queuing. This so-called privilege has now been removed because it was being abused by other, more selfish, clients. It's obviously an easier option for the management to remove it rather than trying to enforce it and please the few.
If this happens every time a system is abused, then there will be no dedicated parking spaces and no toilets for the disabled.
Many is the time we have waited outside a locked toilet only to see a perfectly able person walk out.
I know you can't always tell a disabled person just by looking – but the "giveaway" is the sheepish grin and the mumbled apology.
I waged a campaign with public transport in Leicester for a few years and I am glad to say that things are considerably better now, thanks to a little retraining.
Some years ago we got on a bus at Leicester General Hospital and the driver said: "You'll have to fold that up." Had I been able to fold the wheelchair up there would have been no need for it! Mind you, there is still the odd Arriva bus that cannot be accessed.
Only last week there was an old type bus on the 51 route and we had to wait for the next one. They do have until 2012 to change them all though, I believe. Because I'm not sure what the situation is with coaches, we do not use them.
All credit to the staff of the train station here in Leicester, though – they are wonderful and can't do enough to help. It's a real pleasure to travel on a train – it's just the cost the prohibits the indulgence.
I am fortunate in as much as I have a manual wheelchair and my husband is good enough to push me around. If I were in the same position as Alex I should find many more places would be no-go areas.
I believe, as Alex does, that the Act should be more legally binding and the politicians who crafted it should be more interested in monitoring same – otherwise the law really is an ass.
Val London, Leicester.
This letter is published in today's Leicester Mercury:
Bus problems
In response to Lorna Crane's letter (Mailbox, March 6) provision of the easy access buses on service 50 and 51, is a matter for the operator, Arriva, not the city council.
Arriva took delivery of a fleet of easy access Volvo single-deck buses last year, which should help. But at present, their fleet is a mixture of easy access and step-entrance buses.
Bus operators are not required by law to have a 100 per cent easy access fleet until 2017, and Arriva's fleet should conform to this well before then.
But Arriva don't help their own case by scheduling easy access and step entrance buses on the same roads, without showing any indication in their timetables which journeys will be run by which types of bus.
Until the step entrance buses are eliminated from the fleet, it would probably be better to restrict them to certain routes and specify clear which routes are easy access and which are step entrance.
Terry Kirby, Barwell.
This letter is published in today's Leicester Mercury:
Plea answered
While I have every sympathy for the disabled in respect to travelling on Arriva buses 50 and 51, I would like to point out to Mrs Lorna Crane (Mailbox, March 7) the facts relating to the change of the city centre terminus from the ludicrous Causeway Lane stop back to the Haymarket.
I campaigned to get the Haymarket stop reinstated. Both the city council and Arriva listened to my pleas on behalf of pensioners and disabled people and discussions were entered into.
I must praise Mr Julian Heubeck, the city's public transport co-ordinator, for the way he dealt with the problem, keeping me informed of progress.
With regard to special buses for the disabled, it should be remembered that both the 50 and 51 are mainly on rural routes and capital expenditure by Arriva on the special buses has to be restricted. As far as I am aware, the city council has no influence on this.
Mrs Crane, in her original letter, was out of date because the route changes had already been made, but may I wish her the best of luck if she campaigns for disabled buses and hope she gets more support than I got in my campaign.
Peggy Brooks, Leicester
