Wheelchair-user ‘humiliated’ after driver bans him from coach for complaining about safety and discrimination

A wheelchair-user was left “humiliated” after a coach driver refused to allow him to board his vehicle, and then told him he was a “liability” and “banned” because he had previously complained about discrimination and safety issues.

Arriva Midlands has already had to make two payments of compensation to wheelchair-user Charley Jonstone-Brent, from Coventry, because its drivers repeatedly failed to strap him in safely.

In August, Arriva paid him £6,500 after Disability News Service (DNS) reported how he had been left with a broken ankle and two broken wrists and had to complain at least 15 times about the failure of drivers to ensure his wheelchair was safely attached to the floor and strapped in.

But its drivers have continued to discriminate against him and put his safety at risk on his journeys to Leicester, and Arriva agreed last month to pay him another £3,500 compensation.

In one incident, the driver failed to strap him down and said he did not know how to do it, while on another occasion the driver failed to strap him in correctly, and then – when Jonstone-Brent said his wheelchair was moving about – told him not to worry about it.

Now the company is facing yet another hefty payout after one of its drivers recognised him from pictures believed to have been circulating on a drivers’ WhatsApp group, and refused to allow him to board the coach.

Arriva has told DNS that the driver has been suspended pending an internal investigation, and that it is providing “refresher training for staff”.

It has described the treatment Jonstone-Brent received as “unacceptable”.

Jonstone-Brent (pictured), who is autistic, had been planning to travel on from Leicester to East Midlands Airport to enjoy a few hours of plane-spotting.

He had arrived early for the 10.20am coach service last Thursday and was first in the queue, but he said the driver immediately recognised him.

He said: “He opened his door and huffed and puffed and said, ‘You’re the guy who keeps putting complaints in.’”

The driver said the safety harnesses were not on board – which would have been unlawful – and then wrongly suggested that Jonstone-Brent and his wheelchair would be too heavy for the lift, which had a capacity of 300 kg (more than 47 stone).

A video of the incident taken by his partner Chloe Child shows the driver telling them: “I am very sorry but unfortunately I am unable to serve you, sir.

“You are free to call the depot and report this, you have the bus number, everything.

“This is a technical issue because there is a weight limit. You can call me on discrimination, whatever… it is for my own safety.”

He eventually closed the door of the coach and drove off, making no alternative arrangements for the pair’s journey.

Jonstone-Brent said: “I felt humiliated, especially because he was shouting all this business in front of at least 20 to 30 passengers.

“He had a full coach and they were all filming and taking photos.”

He said the treatment he continued to receive from Arriva was “disgusting” and the driver’s behaviour had been “completely toxic”.

The incident is particularly embarrassing for Arriva because its executives had invited Jonstone-Brent to one of their depots next month to explain how the company was failing on access and safety.

But he said: “I have no faith in them now. Each time they say, ‘We will make sure it never happens again.’ And then it does.”

Disabled activist Doug Paulley, who has supported Jonstone-Brent with his case, and tested the route and experienced the same safety failings, said: “This is blatant victimisation of Charley for daring to sit down for his rights to travel on public transport like everybody else, with something like the same safety and ease and lack of fuss that non-disabled people expect, and that Arriva is legally obliged to provide to Charley.

“The unprofessionalism, DARVO (deny, accuse, reverse victim and offender), labelling and blaming, the private discussions on WhatsApp, are all so wearily familiar, so off-putting and have such a massive emotional toll, especially where Charley is still reliant on the bus company.

“It is truly disgraceful.

“Hats off to Charley for what he’s done and doing, and shame on those who behave so terribly.”

Ryan Dunne, area director for Arriva Midlands, told DNS this week: “We’re aware of an upsetting incident in which a customer was wrongly refused access to our X6 service.

“As soon as the incident was brought to our attention, we contacted the customer to apologise for the unacceptable way in which they were treated, which fell a long way short of the service all our customers rightly expect and deserve.

“The driver involved has been suspended pending the outcome of an internal investigation, and we are also providing refresher training for staff to help prevent a similar situation from happening again.”

It updated the statement this morning (Thursday) to say that the driver “no longer works for Arriva”.

Arriva said it does “not endorse WhatsApp” and does not issue its drivers with mobile phones or communicate with staff through their mobile phones.

A spokesperson said: “We are investigating what’s happened here and a possible line of inquiry will be whether our social media policy may have been breached.

“We’re investigating why this has happened and we’re working with the customer, our drivers and depot management so we can try and make things better in the future.

“As part of our plans to try and get things right going forward, we are rolling out more refresher training to drivers, plus printed guides.”

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