We recently asked our members and social media followers about their experiences with buses in York. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences.
In summary, you told us of multiple occasions on different buses where wheelchair users had been refused entry. The most frequent reasons given were that there was no room left or that there were too many pushchairs. Sometimes the buses didn’t even stop as the driver just drove past. Sometimes the person in the wheelchair was made to wait until everyone else at the bus stop has got on even if they were first in the queue.
One person told us that the bus they were waiting for was an electric bus, running slightly late. They are blind and did not hear it or recognise it as a bus and it did not stop. If a passenger had not noticed them and asked the driver to stop they would have missed it and had to wait an hour for the next one.
Another member, who has an invisible condition, is reliant on buses to get to and from work. They are finding the current bus timetable is inadequate at high traffic commuter times so the buses are increasingly busy and it is getting much harder to ensure having a seat. Also, they said that buses were kept very clean during the peak of the pandemic, but since covid regulations have been relaxed, the cleaning seems to have stopped, with buses being much dirtier, often with very dirty seats. Some have been so grubby as to be off putting to sit on, but the need to sit down to avoid a pain flare up means having to sit on them anyway.
Finally, you told us of problems with the intercom system at the Grimston Bar Park and Ride for anyone with a tall vehicle. In one instance, the person’s hearing aid couldn’t pick up what the person on the intercom was asking them. Also, the intercom is on the passenger side so can’t be used from the vehicle making it difficult or impossible for anyone with mobility restrictions. There is an alternative phone number that can be used, but that doesn’t work for those who, for whatever reason, are not able to access it.
We’ll be passing on this information but do let us know in the comments, by email or leave us a voicemail (01904 326781) to share your experience.