Make sure all bus drivers get disability awareness training

[Old Cruser]

Email from RNIB



Have to hold my hands up and confess that I have never given much thought to this - and should have 

Just wondering if it is something our bus drivers in Derbyshire are trained on - has anyone come across this being used?

The video link is just common sense - if we think about it, but until we watch something like this - would others like me give it much thought?
Be honest???


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah6GSikfj7I



Thanks to everyone who supported our bus campaign by getting involved with our Bus Action Fortnight. Many of you held successful events across the UK. We're pleased to announce that following the fortnight, Kent based Go-Coach met with local campaigners and signed up to our bus charter. Alongside this, at least four other bus operators have set up similar meetings.

But our work is far from over. In March 2013, EU regulations came into force which covered bus and coach travel across the EU. Part of these regulations said that all bus drivers should have disability awareness training. Instead of implementing immediately, the UK government decided to make use of a five year exemption.

After challenging this, the Minister of State for Transport agreed to review this decision in March 2014. We are still waiting. Do you think all bus drivers should have disability awareness training? If the answer is yes, please send a message to Baroness Kramer, the current Minister of State for Transport, and ask her to lift the exemption on the EU regulation on bus driver disability awareness training.


Mystery Shopper video transcript

Diane Marx:
My name is Diane Marx, I contracted meningitis sixteen and a half years ago and was left totally blind. 

The problems I face as I use buses on a daily basis are things like bus drivers not stopping, initially, then not communicating.  I've been involved with RNIB through the Stop for me, Speak to me campaign, doing mystery shopping by riding around the city, getting on and off buses, trying different routes, putting a mystery shopping report together.

Mystery Shopper Feedback

Things that I tend to give feedback on when I'm doing a mystery shop on the buses is looking at whether they stop for me, whether they tell me the bus number, their destination, whether they tell me whether the bus has audible announcements on board, whether they will tell me where there are available seating.  If there are no audible announcements, when I get to my destination, if they do that.  That all goes into the mystery shop.


Food for thought!!