Inclusion North Bulletin

Talking Travel Takeover

26th February 2018

In this bulletin you will hear about accessible

travel, good practice across the region, some of
the work Inclusion North is doing and
information about what is happening across the
country.

Find Inclusion North on Facebook and Twitter

You can find out more about all the work we are doing
by following us on Facebook and twitter at:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/InclusionNorth

Twitter: @InclusionNorth

All about our Talking Travel Takeover

Inclusion North are hosting a Talking Travel

Takeover week 26th February to 2nd March.
Together with this special bulletin, we are doing lots
of things:
 • Twitter takeover – look out for lots of travel
related tweets on the Inclusion North twitter
account
• #sharedjourneys – we want to encourage
people to treat their fellow passengers well, we
want to hear your stories about shared journeys
- the good and the bad
• 26th February travel workshop in Newcastle
• 27th February workshop on a bus in Hartlepool

Do tweet us and tell us what you think about our

Talking Travel Takeover – we’d love to hear….

#sharedjourneys
What you can offer to someone else
My name is Mary, I am a Geordie Mum.
We stopped getting funding for taxis to get to our
group in Newcastle. So I’ve volunteered to meet
other Geordie Mums in town to help them get to the
group.

One Geordie Mum lives not too far from me. I meet
her on the bus. I go to the front of the bus so she
can see me. Then she knows she is getting the right
bus.
We meet some of the other Geordie Mums at
monument in town. Then we all go together to the
next bus stop to get a bus to Jesmond to get to
Skills.

Some of the mums were really nervous to get the

bus by themselves. I wanted the Mums to still come
to the group so I volunteered to help. The Mums feel
more safe with support to go with them.

I hope they have more confidence soon to get the

bus on their own, but I’m happy to keep helping
them until they are. Some of the mums might need
help for a long time because of their anxiety. I’m
happy to do that because I’ve done The Tomorrow’s
Leader Course to help me be a leader and help
others.

After the group I help them go back on the bus. We

all go to the bus stop together and then I help them
get to their bus stops from town so we can all get
home safely.

Larchfield Men’s group in Middlesbrough looked at

good and bad journeys
What makes a good journey?
 • Comfortable seats
• The bus being on time
• Having enough seats
• Having enough staff on trains
• More cctv cameras
Good Experiences…
• Drivers having a positive attitude
• Coaches and buses being on time
• Getting good information from the bus driver
• When it is easy to get tickets from the self-
service machine
How this makes you feel…
• Good
• Happy
• Joyful
• Relieved

What makes a bad journey?

• Feeling unsafe
• People not giving up their seat for old or
disabled people
• Taxi drivers not talking to you
 • Grumpy taxi drivers
• Any verbal abuse
• People fighting

Bad Experiences…
• ‘The bus pulling away even though he saw me
coming’
• Taxis speeding
• No music on the longer distance buses/coaches
• Bad language
• Shouting on public transport

How this makes you feel…

• Disappointed
• Unhappy
• Stressed
• Scared

Durham Parliament Group looked at what you

expect from others when travelling and what can you
offer them….
• People are friendly, talk to one another
 • The disabled space at the front of the bus to be
offered to those who need it.

Bus and coach travel

Letting the bus driver know if you need extra
time or help
Some people need extra time or help when they get
the bus.

Lots of bus companies have cards which you can

show to the driver.

The cards have different messages and you can

choose which one is best for you.

The messages say things like:

• Please don’t set off until I have sat down

• Please be patient, I have a learning disability
• Please speak slowly, I am hard of hearing
• Please scan my pass for me
• Please help me find a seat

You might be able to get cards from your local bus

station, or you can find them on the internet and print
them off.

Companion bus passes

If you have a disability you may be able to get a
disabled persons bus pass. The bus pass lets you
travel for free on local buses in your area and across
England.
In some areas, you can also apply for a companion
pass if you are not able to travel on your own.

The companion pass means that someone can

travel with you for free when you are on the buses in
your local area. If you get a bus in other parts of
England, you can still travel for free, but your
companion will have to pay their bus fare.

Contact your local council to find out more about bus

passes and to ask if you can get a companion pass
in your area.

Getting to your seat safely on a bus

How often have you got on a bus and it has set off
before you have sat down?
First Bus are running a Pull Away When Safe
(PAWS) campaign.
The campaign is aimed at their bus drivers and
posters are on display across their depots.
First Bus hope that the campaign will see a drop in
all slip, trip and fall incidents on their vehicles.
The law and wheelchair spaces on buses
Many wheelchair users have faced the difficulty of
getting on a bus and a fellow passenger using the
wheelchair space.
At the beginning of January 2017, the Supreme
Court ruled that bus companies should do more than
get a bus driver to simply ask a non-wheelchair user
to move from the wheelchair space.
The new guidance says that if the bus driver thinks
that the passenger in the space could move safely
and is being unreasonable, they should do more to
persuade the passenger to move.

Easy Access Guarantee

Go North East are leading the way in the North East
as the only bus operator in the region to offer a full
Easy Access Guarantee to cover all circumstances.

The Guarantee means that if a passenger using a

compliant wheelchair or any other mobility aid is
unable to board a Go North East bus because the
ramp isn’t working, or there is no space in the
wheelchair bay or a non-accessible bus is being
used on an easy access route, or for any other
reason, an accessible taxi will be offered to the
customer which will be free to them.

To find out more go to:

https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/accessibility/
Coach travel and wheelchair access
Did you know that buses and coaches that carry 22
passengers or more have to allow access on the
vehicle for disabled passengers?
This is a law - the Public Service Vehicle
Accessibility Regulations 2000.
The Regulations set out a timetable by which buses
and coaches have to do this.
Single and double decker buses should already be
doing this.
Coaches have to do this by 1 January 2020.
Buses and coaches already covered by the
regulations must have:

• space for a standard wheelchair

• a boarding device to enable wheelchair users to
get on and off
• a minimum number of priority seats for disabled
passengers
• handrails to assist disabled people
• colour contrasting of handrails and steps to help
partially sighted people
• easy to use bell pushes
• equipment to display the route and destination

Train travel
Northern Rail’s plans to stop having guards on
the train
Over the last few months you might have noticed
that Northern Rails has been affected by strikes.

This is because of a disagreement with the guards

who work on their trains.

The guards are worried by Northern Rail’s plans to

stop having guards and drivers on their trains, and
just have drivers.

Northern Rail says that this will still be safe for

passengers.

The guards disagree. They do not feel that

passengers will be as safe on the trains.

How to call the guard for help

One of our Talking Travel group members told us
that there is a button you can press on the train
which will call for help or assistance.

Virgin Trains East Coast have ‘call for aid’ alarms

which are at each wheelchair space and in every
accessible toilet on their trains.
When the alarm is pressed a message goes over the
Public Address (PA) system, requesting that a
member of the train staff goes to the passenger.
The alarm will continue until a member of staff turns
the alarm off – it cannot be turned off by a customer.
Booking assisted travel
You can book to get help at any station for any train
journey.

The train company can organise for someone

to:

• meet you at the entrance or meeting point and go

with you to your train

• provide a ramp on and off your train if you need

one

• meet you from your train and take you to your next
train or the exit

• carry your bag (up to three items of luggage)

You can book help at short notice. Some companies

may ask for up to 24 hours’ notice.

Planning your train journey

You only need to contact one train company and

they will organise assistance for your whole journey.
You can book assistance by phone or online with the
company directly or centrally here:

• disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/travel-assistance/
• 0800 022 3720
• 0845 60 50 600 textphone/minicom

You won’t have to pay extra if you can’t buy your

ticket before getting on the train due to your
disability.
Coming Soon! Passenger Assist app

Passenger Assist is a phone app that is being

developed and tested.
It should be available soon.
It helps you ask for support at a train station.
The app tells staff at the station where you are and
the help you need, such as getting a ramp for your
wheelchair or finding the right platform.
We will keep you posted and let you know when the
app is available!

Grand Central Rail educational trips

Advocates from Sunderland Peope Frist were asked
by Grand Central Railways to give their views about
the service.

We were asked to look at things like how easy it is to

book tickets; how accessible the trains and platforms
are and how helpful the staff are.

In December, Toni ann, Andrew travelled down to

York and back.

They wrote a report about their journey. This

included things that were good and things that were
more difficult.
They also made some suggestions about things that
would make it easier for passengers with disabilities.

We would like to say a big thank you to Grand

Central for inviting passengers with disabilities to say
what they think about the service.

We hope other transport providers will ask people

with disabilities to give feedback about their
services.

Taxis

Top tips for booking accessible taxis

Hackney carriages or black taxis charge a

passenger based on the meter reading in the taxi.

They cannot charge you more than this.

The charge should start when you enter the vehicle

and not before.

Private hire taxis can charge what they want to, so

always ask how much the cost of your journey will
be before you take the taxi.

If you are a wheelchair user make the taxi firm

aware of the type of chair you use, so that they send
the right type of vehicle for you.

The Licensing Authority of each Local Authority area

will have a list of taxi operators who have wheelchair
accessible vehicles.

If you have a bad experience complain to the

Licensing Authority – they will be able to follow this
up with the taxi operator

Equality Act gives more protection to wheelchair

users booking taxis

Last year new guidance was introduced to give

wheelchair users more rights.

The guidance, which follows the Equality Act

requirements, said that taxi drivers with wheelchair
accessible taxis could lose their licence and face a
fine if they refuse to transport wheelchair users.

The guidance said Local Authorities should hold lists

of taxis and private hire vehicles that are wheelchair
accessible.

Unless a taxi driver on this list has an ‘exemption

certificate’ they should transport wheelchair users.

An exemption certificate might be given to a taxi

driver who is not able to support a wheelchair user
into their taxi because of a medical condition.
Top Tips for Travel

Larchfield Men’s group in Middlesbrough shared

their top tips for travel with us….

• Be prepared
• Book in advance
• Be on time
• Don’t be shy
• Ask for time to sit down
• Have a checklist
• Let people know when you are leaving for your
journey and when you should be arriving at your
destination
Our Yorkshire and Humber Talking Travel group
also thought these top tips were helpful…

• Carry emergency contact details on you

• Make sure your phone is charged

 • Be aware of safe strangers

• Use smart phone apps to assist in your journey

• Have money available

Durham Parliament group added…

• Sit near the driver

• Know what number of bus you need to catch

• Look to enjoy your journey

How technology can help…
• Bus timetables can be downloaded from the
internet

• Free Wi-Fi available on some buses

• Use your mobile phone to scan code at bus

stop. Can get information about when the bus is
due

Getting About guide

Bradford Talking Magazine (BTM) have produced an

easy read guide to Getting About.

The booklet sets our how to plan your journey or

travel using public transport (bus or train).

You can find the booklet here:

http://www.btm.org.uk/resource-category/everyday-living/

Travel Apps reviews

Adam Stokes, a member of the Yorkshire and

Humber Talking Travel group reviewed:

National Rail Enquiries

A free app for train travel across the country

What does it do?

You can check train times and book tickets
What was good about it?
Give you lots of information about a journey
including the amount of changes, platform number
and times

What could be better?

The information on the screen is quite small. It would
help if there was an audio button that could read out
the information on the screen.
I’d find it hard to use on my own.

My Rating:

Stagecoach Bus
A free app that gives you information about
stagecoach buses

What does it do?

Helps you plan a bus journey, find a bus and find a
bus stop.
What was good about it?
I like the way it was set out – that was quite clear. It
was easy to use.

What could be better?

It would help me if there was an audio button that
could read out the information on the screen.

My Rating:

First Bus
A free app that gives you information about First Bus
buses

What does it do?

Helps you plan a bus journey. Has live bus times as
well as the planned bus times

What was good about it?

I like the journey planner. I like that it tells you how
many stops there are on your journey.

What could be better?

It would help me if there was an audio button that
could read out the information on the screen.

I think I would need help to use this app.

It would be good if the app let you fill out a complaint

or compliment. It lets you leave feedback about your
journey but doesn’t give you information about
putting in a complaint or compliment.

My Rating:

Changing Places
What does it do?
Helps you find the nearest Changing Place toilet to
where you are.

What was good about it?

It is really clear. It is easy to use. I like the symbols
they used.

What could be better?

It would help me if there was an audio button that
could read out the information on the screen.

This was the best app I tried.

My Rating:

Tom Welsh, from People First Keighley and Craven

and a member of the Yorkshire and Humber Talking
Travel group reviewed:

Citymapper
What does it do?
Helps you plan your journey on all types of public
transport. Guides you about the cost and travel
times
Tom’s thoughts…
This app looks really useful if you were in a city such
as London, but not all cities are on the app* so I
couldn’t test it properly.

*Citymapper is currently only available in London,

Manchester and Birmingham in the UK

UK Bus Checker
What does it do?
This app covers the whole of the UK – all 300,000
bus stops! You can check the timetable or get live
departure times from your nearest stop. It also has a
Stop Alert feature in case you fall asleep on your
journey so help make sure you don’t miss your stop.
Tom’s thoughts…
This app seems more accessible to use. The only
problems I found were in the settings. There was the
option to change the font size and zoom options but
then when you went back to the map and location
view the size had not changed.

It’s Accessible
What does it do?
This app helps people with mobility issues find and
share accessible places, such as bars, restaurants,
hotels and car parks.
The app is community dependent. This means that
the more people that use it and share their
experiences, the better the information on the app
will be.
Tom’s thoughts…
I thought this app was the best of the three. The
only downsides were that you could only review
buildings in the area that you were in, the
background contrast can’t be changed and a few of
the locations need updating.

The importance of complimenting or

complaining

We have all had really good or really rubbish

journeys.

It is important for all travel companies to know if you

have had a good or bad service, because this will
help them do more of the good things and try to
change the not so good things.

If we don’t tell them, they don’t know.

All travel companies will have a complaints and

compliments process.

The best way to find out about this is to either call

them or go onto their website.

Good things happening around the country

Brighton and Hove Buses

In 2015 Brighton and Hove Buses won the UK Bus

Awards ‘Putting Passengers First for Accessible
Travel’ category, and followed this up the following
year with an award for their Helping Hand Scheme,
and for Victoria Garcia, their Accessibility Officer.

What makes them so good?

Victoria says that there have been two key reasons:

1. Brighton and Hove Buses’ Managing Director,

and all the key people who decide how they
spend their money have done all the
accessibility courses that Victoria has designed
with user groups – they can see how important
this is and invest in accessibility
2. They created an Accessibility Officer role, and
currently Victoria is the only person doing this
role in the UK bus industry, aside from
Transport for London

Victoria works together with user groups to find

solutions to some of the barriers to travel, and the
training they have created has had a real impact on
the drivers, with one saying ‘I had no idea how scary
it could be’.

This year in March they will be launching a big

poster campaign aimed at passengers treating one
another well.

Transport for London – Valuing People Big Day

Network

This Network first met in February 2007 linking

Transport for London with the Government’s Valuing
People programme in the London Region.
The Network has been funded by Transport for
London since April 2011.

The Network meets 3 times a year.

It also works on additional events and projects.

Network members go to different Transport for
London Accessibility Working Groups.

Members and supporters of self advocacy groups

for people with learning disabilities from across the
London Region, have the opportunity to talk directly
to Transport for London’s managers and staff about
the transport services they use, and the information
that they want to access.

The network works together to improve their

experiences of using public transport in London.

They have been involved in 3 main pieces of work:

1. Looking at the information provided to

passengers such as signage, internet and social
media
2. Thinking about how staff interact with
passengers – this has included work on the
Please Offer Me a Seat campaign
 3. Thinking about how helpful the physical
environment is to passengers

Take our travel survey….

We want to find out about how safe you feel

travelling around.

We also want to know what helps you feel safe.

Please do complete the survey – you can find it

here:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/2ZKC9G3

If you would like any information on any of our

meetings, training or projects you can contact
the office on:

Tel: 0113 262 6409

(or from 1st March 2018) 0113 898 0025

E-mail: info@inclusionnorth.org
Or you can write to us at:

Inclusion North
Suite 4
Unity Business Centre
26 Roundhay Road
Leeds
LS7 1AB

You can visit our website at:

www.inclusionnorth.org

Or you can contact the Inclusion North team:

Kirsty Morgan – North East

Tel: 07539 063 467
Email: kirsty@inclusionnorth.org

Lucy Virgo – Yorkshire and Humber

Tel: 07944 185 771
Email: lucyvirgo@inclusionnorth.org