• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About DNS
  • Subscribe to DNS
  • Advertise with DNS
  • Support DNS
  • Contact DNS

Disability News Service

the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues

  • Home
  • Independent Living
    • Arts, Culture and Sport
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Housing
    • Transport
  • Activism & Campaigning
  • Benefits & Poverty
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
You are here: Home / News Archive / National Express’s ‘fully accessible’ coaches ‘exclude many wheelchairs’

National Express’s ‘fully accessible’ coaches ‘exclude many wheelchairs’

By John Pring on 3rd January 2014 Category: News Archive, Transport

Listen

newslatestThe UK’s largest coach operator has admitted that many wheelchair-users are still not able to travel on its vehicles, even though it has spent millions of pounds on a new “fully accessible” fleet.

National Express claims that 97 per cent of its fleet of coaches is now wheelchair-accessible, six years before the 1 January 2020 deadline for all coaches to comply with public transport access regulations.

But despite the company’s claims, the system it uses to ensure wheelchairs are securely fastened in place is not compatible with many popular models.

The problem emerged after a discussion between Eleanor Lisney, a leading disabled activist, and National Express’s accessibility and inclusion manager.

He told Lisney that her Quickie Salsa M power wheelchair – widely available on the NHS – did not fit the base of the “Magic Seat”, which he admitted was “sadly, not so magic in this instance”.

Wheelchair access to new National Express coaches is by a lift at the front of the vehicle, and for those disabled people who cannot then transfer into a standard seat, their wheelchair can be locked in place into one of the Magic Seats.

But passengers are advised to call a dedicated phone line to check their wheelchair is “compatible” before they book a ticket.

Lisney said that National Express’s failure to make their vehicles accessible to some disabled people meant that these passengers were being excluded from a cheaper means of travel, while many disabled tourists would also face such problems.

A National Express spokesman was unable to say what proportion of wheelchairs were compatible with its Magic Seats, or how many disabled customers it was having to turn away.

He said: “We are absolutely committed to customers with accessibility needs and with 97 per cent of our fleet already wheelchair accessible, we have striven to be well ahead of the requirements set out in the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR), which oblige all UK coaches to be wheelchair accessible by 2020.

“We are pleased that thanks in part to the measures taken, we have seen the number of journeys taken by wheelchair-users increase by 36 per cent this year.”

He added: “There are hundreds of different wheelchair designs available on the UK market and some models will not fit in our vehicles.

“However, we have taken every measure possible to make sure as many customers with accessibility requirements as possible can travel with us.”

1 January 2014

Share this post:

Share on X (Twitter)Share on FacebookShare on WhatsAppShare on Reddit

Related

Rail industry unable to point to single train company ‘getting it right’ on access
23rd November 2023
Ministers and train firms refuse to rule out future ticket office closures, despite climbdown
2nd November 2023
Disabled campaigners celebrate ‘bittersweet’ ticket office victory
2nd November 2023

Primary Sidebar

Access

Latest Stories

Anger over Labour’s ‘shameful’ silence on universal credit’s ‘deadly faults’

Activists welcome decision to reassess status of UK’s ‘pathetic’ human rights watchdog

Disabled HGV driver accuses ‘back to work’ ministers of hypocrisy over equality laws

‘Warrior’ disabled mum takes crucial step in ‘justice for Jodey’ fight

Disabled students told their access needs are ‘a nuisance’, survey finds

Music festival operator signs legal agreement after multiple access failings

Disabled people ‘must rediscover appetite for fighting oppression’

Ministers push ahead with ‘highly damaging’ plans on ‘fit for work’ assessment

DWP told to release ‘worst case scenario’ report on impact of errors on claimants

Flawed universal credit means government’s plans for sanctions ‘are inexplicable’

Advice and Information

Readspeaker

Footer

The International Standard Serial Number for Disability News Service is: ISSN 2398-8924

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site map
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 Disability News Service

Site development by A Bright Clear Web