Brighton buses set 'gold standard' for accessibility, transport minister says

During the visit, the minister learned about the city’s commitment to specially designed, accessible city buses, designed in partnership with a range of disability-advocacy groups.

From an extra wheelchair space to dementia-friendly flooring and improved displays for those with sight and hearing impairments, the buses cater to passengers with a wide variety of needs, and it’s hoped that they set a positive example for transport operators nationwide to follow.

"The visit is all about shining a light on what Brighton and Hove buses are doing. I came here because Brighton is setting the gold standard when it comes to bus accessibility, and to hear the first hand experiences of local disabled people. Brighton and Hove Buses really is leading the agenda, and the key to that has been co-development; including disabled people in the design process to ensure they can access transport confidently,” Mr Lightwood, who is MP for Wakefield and Rothwell, said.

"The point is to learn those lessons across the country, and hold this up as best practice. As a government, we’re determined to tackle the bus postcode lottery.”

The visit, which took place on the International Day of People with Disabilities, comes after the government announced £1 billion of funding for bus services, including £9.2 million for Brighton and Hove City Council, in order to keep fares down, protect local routes and deliver more reliable services.

Ed Wills, managing director for Brighton and Hove Buses and Metrobus, said setting a new national precedent will require government-backed industry standards, designed in collaboration with disabled passengers whose needs have, for too long, been neglected on public transport.

"We need more thought, from the ground-up, as to how we build accessibility into the design (of buses nationwide), and manufacturers are dead keen to do it, but the government needs to update the standards.”

Almost all of the city’s buses now incorporate accessibility features like additional wheelchair bays and dementia-friendly flooring – an achievement which has taken several years, a lot of hard work, and plenty of co-production with disabled passengers – and Mr Wills said Brighton and Hove Buses does it simply because ‘it’s the right thing to do’.

"The feedback is invariably positive,” he added. “We’re giving people their freedom to travel with confidence, so they can go out and about, live their lives, with the confidence that we’re there to support their needs."

Alison Evans, a guide dog owner, and a member of the East Sussex Sight Loss Council, said talking announcements on Brighton buses have made a huge difference to her quality of life.

"It wasn’t that long ago we didn’t have anything, and it was quite stressful if you didn’t know where you were,” she said. “Whereas now, that stress has been removed. You know where you are, and you know where your stop is. I go to other places, where the buses aren’t accessible, and it’s like ‘oh, this is really difficult. I don’t know where I am.’"