Following a Government amendment to the Bus Service Bill, all buses in Great Britain could become talking buses. The amendment gives the Transport Secretary the power to require all buses to be fitted with audio-visual technology, providing next stop and final destination information.
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s ‘YourTravelYourSay’ consultation on the future of bus services and the county’s transport system is now in its final stages. Over 5,000 questionnaires have already been completed and 70 drop in sessions held. The consultation period closed at midnight on 21 October.
Guide Dogs has been campaigning hard for this change since the start of the decade. Recently, the charity took the campaign to the Conservative Party Conference, where its Campaigns team met Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and Bus Minister Andrew Jones MP.
Debbie Linford, Community Engagement Manager at Guide Dogs Leeds said:
“Buses play a vital role in enabling disabled people, including those with sight loss, to live more independent lives. But the worry of being unsure if you have caught the right bus, where you are on your journey, or when your stop is coming up, puts many people off using them. Audio-visual next stop and final destination announcements (AV) are therefore essential. They will enable people who are blind or partially-sighted to use buses with confidence.”
