Guide Dogs for the Blind: Response to “Bus Services After the Spending Review’ by the Transport Select Committee

Response to "Bus Services After the Spending Review' by the Transport Select Committee

Today, 11 August, the Transport Select Committee published a report called Bus Services After The Spending Review. Responding to the report, Guide Dogs’ Transport Policy Officer, John Welsman, said:

“Guide Dogs agrees that cuts to local bus services can prevent disabled people from accessing vital services, and we support the recommendation to protect concessionary fare schemes.

"However, we want consistency across local authorities so blind and partially sighted people are aware of what the concessionary scheme offers and of what time of day they can use it. Inconsistencies across local authority boundaries on the time the pass can be used and when companion passes are valid must be eliminated.

"Furthermore, many blind and partially sighted people feel unable to use buses due to the lack of on-board information. We believe audible and visual announcements would make buses more accessible for everyone."

To email the Minister for Buses, Norman Baker MP, to ask him to support our campaign for Audio Visual information on buses, click here: http://bit.ly/emeDWs