Wheels within wheels - a guide to using a wheelchair on public transport 2005 (view report contents)
Buses
The regulations
Buses which carry more than 22 passengers come under the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (as amended).
When from?
Since the end of 2000 all new buses used on local and scheduled services
have had to meet these regulations, except for smaller single deck buses
which don’t have to be wheelchair accessible until 2005.
The speed at which older buses are being replaced by new accessible buses
varies from area to area and from route to route. Buses are sometimes
switched between routes so the proportion of accessible buses will also
change from time to time.
However all single decker buses will be accessible by 2016 and all double
deckers will be accessible a year later.
New buses - what you can expect
Doors
Low floor buses have ramps. In towns they are often powered and worked by the driver. In the country, ramps may have to be unfolded by hand by the driver. Ramps slope no more than 8° when resting on the pavement. Buses with higher floors will have lifts.
Doors are at least 800mm wide, and gangways at least 750mm wide. Floors inside will be flat or the slope will be no more than 5° in the doorway area and 3° elsewhere.
Wheelchair space
There is at least one space for a wheelchair user. It is at least 1300mm long by 750mm wide, with headroom of at least 1500mm. You may need to manoeuvre your wheelchair back and forwards to get into the space. It has a vertical pole and other grab rails which you can use to steady yourself while travelling. The wheelchair space may have a folding seat which other passengers can use. The seat will be easy to fold up, even if you have impaired movement or strength.
In most buses you sit facing backwards. There is a padded backrest to
stop you tipping, shaped so that the wheelchair’s handles and wheels
should pass on either side of it. You don’t have to secure the chair
or wear a seat belt.
A few buses have wheelchair spaces in which you face forwards. The driver
needs to secure your wheelchair in these. They normally use webbing that
hooks on to the frame of the wheelchair and is then tightened to hold
the chair in place. Fixings may vary slightly from bus to bus but they
are easy to use and instructions will be on hand. The driver should check
that your wheelchair is properly secured and will help you fasten it down.
These buses also have seat belts.
Bells
The bell push can be worked by the palm of the hand. There will be one in reach of the wheelchair space.
Handrails and handholds
There are vertical and horizontal handholds at appropriate places. Entrances and exits have rails on both sides.
Route and destinations
These are shown on the front, side and back of the bus. They
can be easily seen – route numbers are at least 200mm high and destinations
are shown in letters at least 125mm high in front and 70mm high on the
side of the bus.
Pre-DDA buses - what you can expect
Some buses have lower steps, easy to grip handholds, non-slip floors and bright lighting. Many have easy to use bell pushes and clear stopping signs. There are seats for older and disabled people. Some larger towns have low floor buses, although not all of them are accessible to wheelchair users. Those that are have a ramp.
Help
Within reason, drivers will help a disabled person get on or off a bus. A few bus companies have helping hand schemes – volunteers who help you on and off or even travel with you for the journey. Having someone on hand to help can be very useful on buses which are not wheelchair accessible if you can get out of your wheelchair and if it is a type which will fold. Contact your local bus company to see if they can help.
Post buses
These carry passengers as well as delivering mail. They use estate cars,
4x4s or minibuses so most are not accessible for wheelchair users. However
the number that are accessible is growing. There is no list of accessible
services but you can get details of routes and timetables:
Tel: 08457 740740
Textphone: 0845 6000606
Report Contents
Introduction
The law
Travelling
in a wheelchair
Trains and trams
Buses
Coaches
Taxis
Planning & booking a journey
Concessions
Reporting back & complaining
Information, help and advice
Details
of manual wheelchairs
Details
of manual wheelchairs - to be pushed by someone else
Details
of powered wheelchairs
