To think this bus company is breaking the law?

[Goingalonenow]

Recently a large number of the local bus routes were scrapped by the large national company who runs them. It's all a bit of a mess. Some of the routes were reintroduced this week having been taken over by another company - not well known.

One of the routes is one I take with DNeice (18) a couple of times a week so grateful to have it back. She uses a wheelchair due to a genetic condition and until today we've never had a problem. Never fought for a space, I take DD on her reins so no buggy, everything has been fine.

Checked the new timetable and I collected DN from her house. Went to the stop. The bus that turned up was a very, very old style one. No ramp and a metal bannister in the middle of the steps on to the bus. So no physical way to accommodate a wheelchair. Even if by some miracle DN could get on there's no space for her chair, she simply can't use service safely. We stood there for a second and stared. I asked the driver if all of the fleet was the same. He said yes.

So DN and indeed anyone with a disability requiring a wheelchair will be unable to use the buses. It's 2018, I can't get my head around it. Had to scrap our plans. I've had a look online and it looks like they should provide accessible transport. Googled the company and it's run from a warehouse 30 miles away, phone number doesn't connect.

Are they allowed to do this?

Goodness that’s awful. I would definitely complain to bus company, council, local MP, can you do a petition, post in a local Facebook group?

I think so.

Reasonable adaptations probably doesn't include scrapping a fleet of buses.

Looking online it says that all double deckers needed to be adapted by January 2017.

There's a governing body I can complain to and I will, I just want to make sure I'm not going off the deep end on this.

Totally complain buses need to be accesable (sp) these days although they might try and fob you off with percentages of our buses blahdeblah but keep at it.

Where I live buses with ramps are very new and not the norm, they buy second hand buses of other companies. Unfortunately it's impossible to use public transport with a wheelchair here.

Thatcher’s deregulation of buses led to this kind of unacceptable bus companies being able to provide a “service”. The wicked legacy of this woman goes on forever

So it looks like DN can't use the local bus services anymore? We're not rural, it's a large town. Past provider was Arriva and while they were admittedly a bit shit at least they were accessible.

Yes they are. All buses now have to be DDA compliant.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/accessible-buses-and-coaches/bus-and-coach-accessibility-and-the-public-service-vehicle-accessibility-regulations-2000

Worth finding out whether the services were run commercially or tendered, btw. If the latter, a particular type of vehicle will be stipulated eg 48 seats, Euro 5, and it won't be what you're getting.

Reasonable adaptations probably doesn't include scrapping a fleet of buses.

Actually - yes it does. As per PickAChew's post above, there are clear regulations regarding accessibility and buses are required to be accessible (and have been since Jan 2017). Operators have had since 2000 to plan for compliance, so the OP's 'very old style buses' should have been scrapped years ago.

Just googled and found this which I believe means it's tendered. The whole area is a bit of a mess since Arriva pulled so many services. I can cope with less buses and DN can use taxis (local company know her well and send accessible one) but it's just annoyed me.

The parties overlap in the provision of local registered bus services
(tendered) and competition for tender contracts in county.

Thatcher’s deregulation of buses led to this kind of unacceptable bus companies being able to provide a “service”. The wicked legacy of this woman goes on forever.

Yes, it's only twenty eight years since she left office. It's not as if there's been time for any subsequent government to address the issue.

They're breaking the law. Start complaining vocally and publicly!

They are not necessarily breaking the law as there are a number of exceptions that could mean the non-wheelchair accessible vehicles are being used lawfully. Some companies will be using buses with less than 22 seats which are completely exempt from the law and others have managed to register their buses as coaches on paper meaning they can stay in service until 2020.
Without knowing the details it could well be that the previous operator pulled out of the services at short notice and that the new operator has stepped in at little to no notice and are having to use whatever they could get their hands on in the short term but are currently in the process of obtaining more suitable vehicles. It is also likely that the previous operator felt the service was no longer financially viable so it may be that the only way the services can support themselves is through the use of older buses.

Go and see your MP. It’s hard to imagine the bus company changing their stock of buses but at least you have done something.

I saw a poor woman and her partner at a tube station recently trapped at the bottom of a staircase in her wheelchair, unable to exit the station. She was in tears, completely mortified, and it looked as if she was going to have to be hauled up by a group of volunteers. Not good enough in 2018.

Just a technicality - it is the Equality Act you need to quote, not the DDA. The DDA and other equality legislation was superseded by the Equality Act in 2010. Only mentioning because I think you should absolutely kick up a fuss, but you'll get further if you quote the right act.

user not short notice, was published in local media in November last year and services scrapped in February. New company are using double deckers so more than 22 seats.

Arriva did state that the services (as well as most services after 8pm ) weren't financially viable. But like I said, I can cope with having to get myself around other ways. People with disabilities like DN are the ones suffering.

Will get in touch with my MP (ha!) and see what I can find out. I think it's just such a knock because she's been using the bus with me for years and it's her way of getting out and being independent. Shopping, coffee and all that.

@Goingalonenow I work in this industry and can probably find out a bit more if you pm me the details.
I'd say the chances are arriva pulled out and the new operator has been awarded the contract, and is probably in breach of the conditions of contract.

Have sent you a PM, thanks.

Not going off the deep end at all. If you call and report to the proper people you'll be doing a public service for disabled people in your area. Good on you!

We have a company like that here too. All of our bus routes are fine apart from this one. Luckily I don't go that way anymore but it used to be difficult when I lived out there.

Least a pram can be folded as a last resort. Disabled people have no choice.

@MatildaTheCat My family and a group of volunteers have hauled my little brother in a wheelchair up hundreds of stairs in an Underground Station before! The difference being, some of the Underground Stations are listed so don’t have to comply with legislation whereas the buses do

@user139328237

Assuming the OP is in England, Wales or Scotland, if the company is providing a local or scheduled service, their vehicles need to be compliant. There is no loophole regarding 'coaches'. Nor is it acceptable or legal to claim that the only way to make the route viable is to use old buses.

@Matilda - the rules had a deadline for implementation of Jan 2017 (and the PSVA regulations are from 2000) so the bus company should not have any old buses in service anyway, so there is no question of them needing to scrap an entire fleet.

A local bus company had a handful of step entrance vehicles in service right up until the deadline which they kept in reserve, for the most part. When they had to use them on public services and someone in a wheelchair needed to travel, they'd arrange a taxi to get them to their destination.