Since I originally published this post my colleague, Danielle from the West Midlands, who last month read out the letter from Phil at the Unite Disabled Members Conference, has shared a photo of the bus stop that was mentioned in the letter from Phil - the original post is below
In the photo the bus floor is lowered to the maximum and the kerb is still too low. There is also no tactile flooring or bus shelter for this stop, so it isn't very accessibility friendly
In a week when the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, is making big statements about how he is going to 'Get Britain Working Again' we wonder whether he will ensure that those disabled people who can work receive the support they need, such as:
Fully accessible public transport - both the vehicles as well as the stations and bus stops
Ensuring that disabled bus passes can be used at any time of day or night.
Requiring employers to assess disabled workers for any reasonable adjustments and then taking enforcement action to ensure that they are provided
Providing support to all forms of employers to help them make their workplaces fully accessible and inclusive
Incorporating the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into UK Law.
Revising or amending the Employment Rights Bill so that it makes provision for the rights of disabled workers - currently they are not even mentioned
Let me repeat what I said in my post on Monday about the fact that I attended a webinar organised by the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom on Labour’s Employment Rights Bill and I asked a straight forward question:
“Can you tell me whether, in your opinion, there is anything in the Employment Rights Bill, which has not been put out to consultation, for disabled workers to celebrate.”
My question was answered by the highly respected Employment Law Barrister, John Hendy KC, and he told me that there is absolutely nothing in the Employment Rights Bill for disabled workers
So this new Labour Government that says that it wants to support disabled people into work offers no support but instead continues the War on Disabled People and is threatening to bully them to take unsuitable jobs.
The Government needs to stop the rhetoric and instead take meaningful action to support disabled people, who can work, into work. I have outlined above a number of the actions that they need to take but on the vital issue of reasonable adjustments it is essential that there is an effective enforcement mechanism and my suggestion, for what it is worth, is that we need to have a mediation service who’s decisions are legally enforceable and that are able to deal with any case submitted to them within 28 days or four working weeks.
If the Prime Minister really wants to support disabled people then we would suggest that he implements the Disabled People's Manifesto during this Parliament
What do you think?
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In an earlier article I mentioned that I attended the recent Unite the Union Disabled members Conference in Birmingham where we did talk about Disabled Persons Bus Passes and the Accessibility of Buses
So what is the issue about Bus Accessibility?
The big issue for disabled people is that too many bus stops across the UK do not have a raised kerb so that the entrance to the bus is not level with the pavement. Many pavements are level with the road but this prevents a wheelchair user or other people with mobility problems being able to enter the bus because the distance between the step and the pavement is too great.
Even when the bus is lowered it is still too high to get on and off for those who require a wheelchair or a pushchair.
You may say, but all buses have ramps that can be used to overcome this?
The problem is that where the pavement is level with the road the degree of incline of the ramp, that is its steepness, is too great for wheelchair users.
One of the speakers at the Unite Disabled Members Conference really brought this issue to life and below I quote her extensively:
Over the last few years of being a bus driver, I can honestly say how appalled I am at the amount of bus stops on my local routes that are inaccessible or a challenge when they really shouldn’t be. The buses for some people are their way of having freedom or independence. But don’t take my word for it, for I have a few words to pass on from a lovely regular customer of mine, Phil and his wife Anne. He wrote a long letter but I have shortened it down to a few paragraphs.
“Hello everyone, my name is Phil. I am 81 years old and my wife Anne is 75. I have been using this bus route for the last 2 years to commute to and from hospital appointments with the aid of my wife and to go out on day trips with the grandkids”
“I have been in a wheelchair for what feels like forever and still, I wouldn’t have any hope of leaving my house if it wasn’t for the lovely bus drivers that help me out massively as well as my wife. There is no high top curb at the bus stop near my house so the bus drivers always know to move forward to the next highest curb available so my wife is still able to push me onto the bus.”
“However, this is not always possible. People park stupidly on that curb taking away my accessibility and I am then forced to rely on my wife and the bus driver at hand. I shouldn’t have to rely on others. But when local authorities neglect bus stops in certain areas, it makes me not want to leave my home. I want to feel independent but when the council makes the bus stops inaccessible, it strips me of that right.
I ask the members at this conference to not only think of my struggles while reaching a decision on this motion, but to think of all those affected. Friends, family (close or not close), workers, non-workers, children and this list could go on. If we don’t sort this out now, it will stop people from wanting to leave their homes completely. Thank you for taking the time to hear me and I would like to thank Danielle for all the work she does and I hope she continues to fight for us like she does. Kind regards, Phil and Anne Jones.”
Accessible Bus Services!
The accessibility of bus services isn’t just about whether the buses are accessible it is also about whether the bus stops provided by local authorities enable disabled people to actually get on the buses.
We should also be clear that the so-called ‘floating bus stops’ deny disabled people especially blind people, the ability to access much needed bus services.
Even the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has said that Transport accessibility for disabled people should be a ‘basic requirement’.
The Prime Minister was talking about all public transport and not just buses. His comments came after the highly publicised and dreadful experience that Tanni Grey-Thompson suffered on an LNER train in September
Actions Speak Louder than Words!
These are fine words from the Prime Minister but it is not words but action that will bring about fully accessible public transport for all disabled people. Please write to your MP and remind them of the Prime Minister’s statement and ask them to write to him asking for a commitment to achieving fully accessible public transport within the life time of this Parliament.
We would also suggest that you ask your MP to write to Louise Haigh, the Secretary of State for Transport.
You can write to both of them at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
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