New onboard announcements to make Britain’s buses more accessible.
Travelling by coach or bus if your vision impaired can bring with it some serious challenges, not least because the vast majority of coaches and buses do not have audio announcement systems in place, which makes finding the right stop harder than it otherwise could be. Whilst working at Sight for Surrey, I would take the bus from Bookham railway station to Fetcham, located on the outskirts of Leatherhead, and regularly had to rely on the bus driver remembering to tell me when we had arrived at my required bus stop and/or learn tactile landmarks, such as bumps and bends in the road, neither of which are without risk. However, a key government announcement should bring about significant change and for the better.
On the 30th of March, the Department for Transport announced the introduction of new rules requiring local bus and coach companies to ensure audio announcement and visual display systems indicating the route and direction of travel, each upcoming stop and the beginning of any diversions, are a standard feature of their vehicles. Companies have until October 2026 to make these improvements and £4.65 million is being made available to support “the smallest bus and coach companies”. At present, provision is patchy with only 30 % of buses and coaches offering audio and visual announcements. But once implemented, the experience of catching a bus or coach will be more akin to that of catching a train, which vision impaired people do regularly and with relatively few difficulties.
As vision impaired people are unable to drive, accessible public transport is vital for enabling them to make essential journeys and live fuller and more independent lives. The government’s announcement, though well overdue, is a major step towards turning the above statement in to a genuine reality.