[PR] Accessibility - Dublin Bus

Victor

http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/News-Centre/Press-Releases/Accessibility-/

Accessibility
Thursday, May 27, 2010

Dublin Bus is committed to providing a service which is accessible to all and is efficient, safe and comfortable. To date, 88% of the Dublin Bus fleet is low floor wheelchair accessible and it is expected that the total fleet will be accessible by 2012. 70% of all Dublin Bus routes are accessible, while 40% of Dublin Bus stops have been installed with low floor accessible kerbing.


There are a number of accessible features on the bus which have been designed in consultation with groups representing people with disabilities. These include a retractable ramp at the entrance, kneeling suspension, improved grip bars, a colour contrasting interior, improved lighting, palm-activated bell pushes and wider gangways for customer comfort and a dedicated space for wheelchair users. This space can also be used for a parent with a buggy which can remain unfolded in the wheelchair space if it is free. However, wheelchair users have priority over other passengers for use of the wheelchair space, since this is the only place in which they can travel safely. If a wheelchair user wishes to board when there is an unfolded buggy in the wheelchair space, the driver will ask the passenger to fold the buggy and either put it in the luggage space or keep it by their side safely.

As part of its commitment to providing a service that is accessible to all, Dublin Bus launched its Travel Assistance Scheme in 2007. This scheme provides practical advice, to individuals with reduced mobility, sensory impairments and learning disabilities, on using Dublin Bus, DART and Luas services. With the help of a full-time Dublin Bus travel assistant, customers can travel with confidence. The Travel Assistant meets with each customer before designing a tailor made travel plan to suit his or her needs. They will collect the customer from their home and accompany them on their journey on public transport, which ultimately leads to their independent travel. Since its launch, user numbers of the scheme have doubled.

Dolores Quinn, Accessibility Officer Dublin Bus, explained “As a public transport provider, it is Dublin Bus’ responsibility to take into account the accessibility needs of all customers. It is our goal to make all our bus services fully accessible as soon as is practically possible. The Travel Assistance Scheme is just one of the initiatives that we have undertaken in our programme of accessibility and we expect that it will continue to grow from strength to strength.”

The Travel Assistance Scheme is available free of charge from 8.00a.m. to 6.00p.m., Monday to Friday, to everyone aged 18 and over. More information can be found by contacting Accessibility Officer, Dolores Quinn, on (01) 7033204 or by e-mailing travelassist@dublinbus.ie.

Dublin Bus will host a stand at this year’s Access, Care and Mobility Exhibition in Citywest Hotel, Saggart. This is the eighth year that Dublin Bus has participated in the event. At the exhibition, one of Dublin Bus’ low floor wheelchair accessible buses will be displayed. On the day, information will be available on accessible features on Dublin Bus vehicles, the company’s Accessibility policy and Dublin Bus’ Travel Assistance Scheme.

Cookie_Monster

The Travel Assistant meets with each customer before designing a tailor made travel plan to suit his or her needs. They will collect the customer from their home and accompany them on their journey on public transport, which ultimately leads to their independent travel. Since its launch, user numbers of the scheme have doubled.

:eek::eek::eek:

Can I have my own personal transport manager too?

What a shockingly inefficient way to waste money that could be used to put (keep) more buses on the road, or hire additional drivers to keep those buses going.

Once again the PC-brigade focuses on benefitting the few rather than the many who lose out to excessivly subsided travel nonsense :mad:

paddyland

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek:

Can I have my own personal transport manager too?

What a shockingly inefficient way to waste money that could be used to put (keep) more buses on the road, or hire additional drivers to keep those buses going.

Once again the PC-brigade focuses on benefitting the few rather than the many who lose out to excessivly subsided travel nonsense :mad:

Rather, would you not be on your knees thankful that you don't have to go through life blind, or deaf, or in a wheelchair for the rest of your life? Selfish attitude.

BluntGuy

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek:

Can I have my own personal transport manager too?

What a shockingly inefficient way to waste money that could be used to put (keep) more buses on the road, or hire additional drivers to keep those buses going.

Once again the PC-brigade focuses on benefitting the few rather than the many who lose out to excessivly subsided travel nonsense :mad:

You didn't highlight the key part of the quote:

which ultimately leads to their independent travel

Helping people with disabilities be able to travel independently on public transport, rather than be dependent on car or relatives or some sort of care assistant, is not an "inefficient way to waste money". No, we can't have buses going past the house of everyone who is unfortunate enough to require a wheelchair, but I am perfectly happy that this scheme is in place to allow everyone to access DB's (hopefully) improved service.

foggy_lad

This assistant is there to get mobility impaired people used to the busses and Luas stops view will use on a daily basis. It is not designed to be permanent.

AlekSmart

Blunt Guy,you are indeed correct,Cookie_Monster did not highlight the "key" part of that quote,but neither did you.....

Here goes....

If a wheelchair user wishes to board when there is an unfolded buggy in the wheelchair space, the driver will ask the passenger to fold the buggy and either put it in the luggage space or keep it by their side safely.

Keen eyed folks those in possession of BullShytt detectors will have spotted this little....Emmm....."departure" from the suggestion that Disabled Persons have any actual priority on Public Transport...I would contend that when all the chaff has fallen they do not.

The quote from the PR puff should continue along the lines of .....

"The buggy owner may decline the Busdrivers request and in that event the Busdriver cannot enforce any priority for the disabled person,other than ascertain where the next bus may be"

That kinda puts this "Priority" business into perspective I feel....:rolleyes:

Cookie_Monster

the bit I didn't highlight is irrelevant.

these people will only help 2-3 max a day whereas a driver will carry 2000 people a day, a mechanic keep a bus on the road etc.

DB sole function is mass transit of people quickly and efficiently. Anything which doesn't directly contribute this this is a waste of time and very limited resources.

Andrew33

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek:

Can I have my own personal transport manager too?

What a shockingly inefficient way to waste money that could be used to put (keep) more buses on the road, or hire additional drivers to keep those buses going.

Once again the PC-brigade focuses on benefitting the few rather than the many who lose out to excessivly subsided travel nonsense :mad:

There but for the grace of God go I. The cheek of people to be disabled! and then want to travel on public transport?? They'll want a vote next!:rolleyes:

MissElle

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek:

Can I have my own personal transport manager too?

What a shockingly inefficient way to waste money that could be used to put (keep) more buses on the road, or hire additional drivers to keep those buses going.

Once again the PC-brigade focuses on benefitting the few rather than the many who lose out to excessivly subsided travel nonsense :mad:

I cannot believe your selfish attitude. :eek: Thank God not everyone thinks like you or people with disabilities wouldn't be able to travel using public transport at all! The ignorance of people astounds me really....

Cookie_Monster

MissElle wrote: »

I cannot believe your selfish attitude. :eek: Thank God not everyone thinks like you or people with disabilities wouldn't be able to travel using public transport at all! The ignorance of people astounds me really....

oh get over yourself.

how are policies which favour the majority over a small minority selfish?

These disabled people already get subsidised travel and more than likely HSE & Dept of SocialWelfare contact who are there to provide this kind of support. It is needless dupliction of service.

Dyr

paddyland wrote: »

Rather, would you not be on your knees thankful that you don't have to go through life blind, or deaf, or in a wheelchair for the rest of your life? Selfish attitude.

It would probably be cheaper to equip a fleet of wheelchair accessible cars to transport disabled commuters on demand than to implement this solution.

I think a parent would be well within their rights to refuse a driver in this scenario, if, for example, you have a small child in a buggy and a toddler as well then the parent is just as impaired as someone who's wheelchair bound and expecting them to manage to stow the buggy on a bus is a nonsense.

MissElle

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

These disabled people already get subsidised travel and more than likely HSE & Dept of SocialWelfare contact who are there to provide this kind of support.

This just proves how ignorant you actually are. My sister (who is disabled) gets none of these things. You honestly think that every person with a disability gets "a contact"?? She gets little or no support from the HSE. All she wants to do is to be able to travel using public transport independently.

Cookie_Monster

MissElle wrote: »

This just proves how ignorant you actually are. My sister (who is disabled) gets none of these things. You honestly think that every person with a disability gets "a contact"?? She gets little or no support from the HSE. All she wants to do is to be able to travel using public transport independently.

no, obviously. and not everyone with a disability needs help getting a bus either. :rolleyes:

MissElle

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

and not everyone with a disability needs help getting a bus either. :rolleyes:

Obviously not everyone with a disability needs help getting on a bus. But for the people that do need this kind of assistance, I think the scheme could really benefit them. It could make people with disabilities become much more independent, rather than having to rely on other people to get around.

AlekSmart

I think a parent would be well within their rights to refuse a driver in this scenario, if, for example, you have a small child in a buggy and a toddler as well then the parent is just as impaired as someone who's wheelchair bound and expecting them to manage to stow the buggy on a bus is a nonsense.

One of my regular passengers is wheelchair bound,and also blind.

I have,on several occasions,had to request such able bodied people as Bambi describes to fold their buggies to allow this gentleman aboard,generally the response has been slow and ill-tempered with me,the Busdriver,being roundly condemned for not allowing more than one in the space etc etc...

By far and away the quickest,most efficient responders are the Philipino`s.
More than once I have had these people advise me that they are folding their buggies BEFORE we reach the stop where the Wheelchair User is waiting.

It really is an interesting behavioural comparison to make between ourselves and some of our "guests".

Victor

AlekSmart wrote: »

One of my regular passengers is wheelchair bound,and also blind.

I may have seen this chap once or someone with a similar situation. He is the only person I have ever seen with such assistance. That compared to the 25% of Dublin Bus passengers with some mobility impairment - that includes people with disabilities, the elderly, people with small children, luggage, etc.

AlekSmart

I may have seen this chap once or someone with a similar situation. He is the only person I have ever seen with such assistance. That compared to the 25% of Dublin Bus passengers with some mobility impairment - that includes people with disabilities, the elderly, people with small children, luggage, etc.

Indeed Victor.

I make the point,however,in the knowledge that this gentleman is a regular user of the Bus Service for his DAILY commute to and from work and also for recretational use.

There are other such people too who have benefitted greatly from the introduction of Disabled Access to the Public Transport fleet,but that principle should NOT be watered down.

Priority means just that....I cannot prioritize one person without discombobulating another...full stop...the Disabled Access omlette requires the breaking of an egg or two ???

Piriz

F*ck me some of the things i read on boards are outrageously stupid, ignorant and pathetic!
OP you should be ashamed! you have demonstrated complete ignorance and selfishness. You know nothing about accessibility, social models of disability and universal design...it would do you the world of good to read up on the three areas above. After which come back and tell us if you have changed your opinion.
Thankfully the only platform you will ever have to air your stupid opinion is this website!

Dyr

Maybe we should be sent off to special "education" camps to be taught about these wonderous subjects.

Piriz

I agree Bambi as its quite apparent you have no education on any of them!

RayM

Bambi wrote: »

I think a parent would be well within their rights to refuse a driver in this scenario, if, for example, you have a small child in a buggy and a toddler as well then the parent is just as impaired as someone who's wheelchair bound and expecting them to manage to stow the buggy on a bus is a nonsense.

During the '80s (when kerbs were low and bus floors were high), my mother regularly managed to negotiate her way onto buses, despite being 'impaired' by a baby in a buggy and a toddler (me). In those days, you could hear the bus around five minutes before you saw it, so people had plenty of time to eject the babies and fold the buggies. As the design of small children hasn't fundamentally changed in the intervening years, I don't understand why this relatively simple bit of multitasking causes such a kerfuffle nowadays.

If a parent is too selfish and misanthropic to facilitate a wheelchair user, the driver should be well within his or her rights to switch the engine off and wait patiently until common sense prevails.

AlekSmart

As the design of small children hasn't fundamentally changed in the intervening years, I don't understand why this relatively simple bit of multitasking causes such a kerfuffle nowadays.

+1 to that RayM.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d7ydf_NN9M&feature=related

Compare the Dwell time of our technology packed vehicles and our risk averse citizenry today....

By the way would that be your mammy and yourself being assisted off the number 7 bus at 22 sec into the clip ????

MustangMick

San Diego, California (in car mad USA) has all their city buses setup with Hydraulic floors that reach out to the pavement / bus kneels on it's suspension. Was there in 2008 so this is by no means a new idea......

Driver gets out, wheels the wheelchair into the bus (spaces provided at the front), locks the chair in position, retracts floor and drives off. Takes no more than 1 minute.

When the passenger needs to get off the bus, driver again assists the passenger out.

There is no reason why Dublin bus can't do the same.

Cheers
Mick

Julius Seizure

MustangMick wrote: »

San Diego, California (in car mad USA) has all their city buses setup with Hydraulic floors that reach out to the pavement / bus kneels on it's suspension. Was there in 2008 so this is by no means a new idea......

Driver gets out, wheels the wheelchair into the bus (spaces provided at the front), locks the chair in position, retracts floor and drives off. Takes no more than 1 minute.

When the passenger needs to get off the bus, driver again assists the passenger out.

There is no reason why Dublin bus can't do the same.

Cheers
Mick

Zombie thread. Every Dublin Bus vehicle is low floor and has a ramp. The only problem that can arise is when a buggy owner won't vacate the priority space. But apart from that no fleet issues.

schemingbohemia

Well, maybe not.....

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/wheelchair-user-turned-away-from-both-dart-and-bus-30505286.html

As recommended by someone on a previous thread, the DART/Train drivers should really carry the ramp with them for situations (which are increasing) where the station is unmanned.

Surprising that the Bus was allowed out if the ramp was broken, though perhaps it broke on route.

KD345

MustangMick wrote: »

San Diego, California (in car mad USA) has all their city buses setup with Hydraulic floors that reach out to the pavement / bus kneels on it's suspension. Was there in 2008 so this is by no means a new idea......

Driver gets out, wheels the wheelchair into the bus (spaces provided at the front), locks the chair in position, retracts floor and drives off. Takes no more than 1 minute.

When the passenger needs to get off the bus, driver again assists the passenger out.

There is no reason why Dublin bus can't do the same.

Cheers
Mick

This would involve a driver leaving their cab which is against the company's policies. Dublin Bus have gone to great lengths to protect their drivers from attacks, and expecting them to leave the bus to assemble a ramp would put them in danger. Drivers have suffered horrific attacks over the years.

I agree, it's a simple solution but probably not practical.

AlekSmart

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Well, maybe not.....

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/wheelchair-user-turned-away-from-both-dart-and-bus-30505286.html

As recommended by someone on a previous thread, the DART/Train drivers should really carry the ramp with them for situations (which are increasing) where the station is unmanned.

Surprising that the Bus was allowed out if the ramp was broken, though perhaps it broke on route.

The Wheelchair Ramp is NOT regarded as a requirement under the Road Traffic Acts,therefore a non-functional Ramp is noted for further maintenance attention.

Ramp functionality is now much improved,particularly since the introduction of vehicle pre-service checks which require daily activation of the Ramp itself.

However anybody expecting 100% satisfaction on the issue 100% of the time is not going to get it...anywhere.

MustangMick

KD345 wrote: »

This would involve a driver leaving their cab which is against the company's policies. Dublin Bus have gone to great lengths to protect their drivers from attacks, and expecting them to leave the bus to assemble a ramp would put them in danger. Drivers have suffered horrific attacks over the years.

I agree, it's a simple solution but probably not practical.

There is no ramp to assemble as such, the floor extends hydraulically from the door to the pavement, almost flat run into the bus.

Wheelchair Access (Sydney Bus) on youtube

Cheers
Mick

AlekSmart

MustangMick wrote: »

There is no ramp to assemble as such, the floor extends hydraulically from the door to the pavement, almost flat run into the bus.

Wheelchair Access (Sydney Bus) on youtube

Cheers
Mick

Interesting video.

BAC already have trialled this type of ramp in use.

It is electrically powered.

It's known as a "Cassette" Type and has proven to be woefully unreliable,so much so that they are being removed and replaced with the far simpler fold-out version.

Of equal interest is the fact that this Sydney Bus could not address the Bus Stop correctly due to a parked car.
This entails the bus being driven in at a significant angle to the kerb,with the wheelchair user being deposited out onto the Grass Verge.
I would suggest that Sydney,in common with Dublin will encounter many of the same problems and more than likely address them in the same manner ?

It is also worthwhile,whilst lauding the Australian model,to perhaps take note of their rules,regulations and directions regarding the reality of Disabled Access provision on Public Transport.....

http://www.sydneybuses.info/travelling-with-us/bus-accessibility/wheelchairs-mobility-aids

And guess what,you travel to the opposite ends of the Earth in search of a superior system and what do you find......:eek:

6. If passengers are already seated in the folding seats in the designated accessible space Bus Operators may ask those passengers to move (if other room is available) when a wheelchair user wishes to board a bus. If other room is not available then the bus is deemed to be full and the wheelchair occupant is expected to wait for the following service. If other passengers decline to vacate the wheelchair space, the driver may elect not to continue the trip until the space is cleared. If this (clearing the space) would create a safety risk (e.g. where a passenger already on board has a mobility problem and has to stand), the Bus Operator may decide not to allow the wheelchair user to board the bus. (Beyond this action, the Bus Operator cannot compel other passengers to give up their seats for such a person).

So...it seems that wherever one goes,Public Transport,is just that...a Mass Transit method of catering for the as many of the Public as can reasonably be accomodated.

AlekSmart

Whilst the grá is upon us for Foreign (All the better if negative ones) comparisons with BAC ..lets see how those craaazy Swiss manage it....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SO5j2dy6Uc

I can sense the shuddering in Safety and Claims Departments up and down the Country......;)