Travelling by bus

by Peter Wilkins
Secretary, EBU Commission on Mobility and Guide Dogs

Paper given at the EBU Mobility and Transport Conference held in Paris on 14-15 October 2002





1. Preparing for the journey

How easy is it to obtain information about which bus you need to use for your destination ? Ideally, there should be a central telephone number, giving advice about which routes different bus operators manage, locally and nationally. Once you have established which bus operator you need to contact, their telephone number should be available from this central enquiry point.

Written information for customers should be made available in accessible reading formats, such as large print, Braille, audio tape, computer disk or by e-mail. The only time I received a Braille bus time-table, it was badly produced, because the staff did not know how to use the Braille transcription equipment, and there was no-one able to check the finished document.



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2. Getting to the bus

If you are starting your bus journey from a terminus, you may need help getting to the bus. Apart from good signage, in clear large print, talking signs are very useful, and audible announcements at the bus-station are essential. There should be adequate, trained staff to give assistance.

If you need to catch the bus along its route, you may have difficulty locating the bus-stop. I find that a bus shelter is much more easy to detect than a single pole, and it is especially difficult when the pole is on the edge of the pavement, close to the road. tactile paving to indicate bus-stops has been developed, but is rarely used. If a shelter is made of glass, it should be colour marked so that people with little sight do not collide with it.

There should be clear signage at bus-stops, and ideally there should be talking signs.



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3. Getting on and off the bus

How do you indicate to the driver that you wish to catch that particular bus ? If you have some sight, and the number on the bus is clear, then you can raise your hand. However, if you are totally blind, and you can hear a bus coming, your only option may be to stop the bus, and ask the driver for its number. Drivers should always stop if they see someone at the bus-stop with a guide dog or a white cane. The bus number should be large and clear, and should be positioned at the front and back of the bus, and also on the side, near the entry door, at a convenient height so it can be seen easily.

The Royal National Institute of the Blind in Britain used to sell a magnetic card, on which you could stick numbers, and holding this up would indicate to any driver which bus you were waiting for. However, today the RNIB only sell a card with the word "BUS" written on it, with no numbers.

When the bus arrives, it could be an unfamiliar design. It may be a "low-floor" bus. If not, how many steps are there ? How far down the bus will you need to walk before you find a seat? If you have some sight, is the colour-contrast of a satisfactory standard ? Is the lighting good ?

If you have to pay a fare, will you need to have the exact amount of money ? Will you need to use a ticket machine, and if you, as a blind person, have difficulty with this, will the driver help you, or produce a ticket for you himself ?

Is there sufficient space near or under your seat to accommodate a guide dog comfortably ?

You may need to ask the driver to let you know when you are getting near to your stop. This is not a satisfactory situation, as the driver may forget. You could ask a passenger to let you know, but he or she may be getting off before you, or may also forget to tell you. Ideally, audible announcements should be made when approaching bus-stops, and if this is too much responsibility for the driver, then why not use an automated system similar to that used in Prague.

When you wish to get off the bus, you may need to notify the driver. Is the bell-push within easy reach of your seat ? You may choose to get out of your seat while the bus is moving. Are there sufficient rails to hold on to ? Are these in standard places ? Many people complain that, when they are getting on a bus, the vehicle starts moving before they have found their seat. Ideally, the bus should not set off until everyone is seated, and there should be time allowed at the stop, so that no-one needs to get out of their seat until the bus is stationary.

When you get off the bus, are you in a familiar place ? If it is a route which you regularly use, does the bus always stop at the same spot ? Are you in a safe place, and are you sure that you are not in the middle of the road ?

If at a bus terminus, will there be staff to help you leave the area ?



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4. Travelling by tram, or light rapid transport systems

Many of the points mentioned earlier also apply to trams.

I live near Manchester, in the North-West of England, and for some years we have had a light rapid transport system using articulated trams, which utilise former railway-station platforms, but also use on-street platforms.

The on-street platforms are about four feet from the pavement at their highest point, and slope down to meet the pavement at either end. This means that when getting on the tram from the flat part of the platform, there is no step. The platform edgings have tactile markings, but these are not always prominent. Although some of these platforms are well-situated, as part of a footway, others are island platforms, which I feel are sometimes difficult to negotiate.

When on board the trams, regular announcements are given, but there is no audible indication of an approaching tram's destination for those waiting on the platform.

I find the trams in Manchester very useful, and they help me get across the city quickly, without the need to cross many busy roads.



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5. Consultation

Bus and tram operators should remember to consult with blind and partially-sighted people when designing vehicles, terminals, and when planning routes.

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