Blind Man is left after buses fail to stop

LDDA - The Liberal Democrat Disability Association <info@disabilitylibdems.org.uk>

Blind Man is left after buses fail to stop

January 14, 2007 5:03 PM

A Blind pensioner was told to "put his arm out" if he wanted to catch his bus after several services failed to stop for him. Robert Morley uses the number 68 Arriva service four times a week to travel into Derby city centre from his home in Osmaston Road.

Mr Morley said that the service has failed to stop for him on three separate occasions over the past three months. After confronting the driver who failed to stop for him on Wednesday, Mr Morley was appalled at the response he received.

He said: "I got on the service that came after the number 68. When we arrived at the bus station, the driver of that bus took me to the driver who didn't stop for me. When I asked him why he didn't stop he said it was because I didn't put my arm out."

Mr Morley, whose daughter is also a bus driver, said that he catches the majority of buses with no problems at all.

"Most of the drivers know me and they are very sociable and very helpful," he said."But it's very annoying when buses don't stop for me." Mr Morley, 68, relies on the aid of his black Labrador guide dog, Pascoe, to alert him when a bus stops.

Pascoe stands up each time a bus arrives, ensuring he and his owner are in clear view of any approaching vehicles. To make Mr Morley and Pascoe more visible, he carries a white stick and Pascoe wears a bright coloured harness. And, despite alerting inspectors at Derby bus station about the problems, the bus company has stated that it has no record of complaints made by Mr Morley.

Arriva spokesman Keith Myatt said: "After speaking to the depot manager, I am not aware of any problems. We would advise anyone who experiences problems with our service to contact the customer care phone line and we can take any incidents formally to the depot and fully investigate.We do apologise for any inconvenience caused to Mr Morley."

Arriva works with the Royal National Institute for the Blind to identify any ways the service can be improved and to provide disability-awareness training for bus drivers.

Mr Morley believes that bus drivers should be made more aware of the blind community and the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association agrees.

Chris Dyson, a spokesman for the charity, said: "We would encourage companies to work from the perspective of visually impaired people, especially when they regularly use the service. They should advise all drivers so they become familiar with Mr Morley. Visually impaired people can't see and can't drive, and therefore rely on public transport. We would be more than happy to chat to Arriva to give them a perspective of public transport from a visually impaired person."