Inaccessible bus travel leaving blind and partially sighted people ‘trapped at home,’ says RNIB

Bus travel is inaccessible to people with sight loss and is leaving them ‘trapped at home,’ the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has warned.

Only 46% of blind and partially sighted people can make the journeys they want and need to, the charity said.

Inconsistent bus stop design, missing lighting and signage, cuts to services, restrictive timetables, insufficient driver training and a rise in pavement clutter are being blamed for making bus travel increasingly inaccessible.

This is despite bus travel being the most commonly used form of public transport for blind and partially sighted people, the charity said.

The RNIB surveyed almost 1200 blind and partially sighted people from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in February this year.

The charity followed up with two focus groups, which were held in April.

More than half (56%) of participants said they would like to go out more than they currently do, whilst 80% reported finding unfamiliar bus journeys ‘difficult or very difficult.’

Of those surveyed, 83% said it is ‘very important’ to have the option to travel by bus.

Buses are essential in allowing those with sight loss to get to work, attend healthcare appointments, complete their education, and take part in community activities, the RNIB said.

The findings were published in the charity’s All Aboard? Navigating bus travel with sight loss report.

The report also highlighted a decline in bus services across the country.

This has reduced the ability of blind and partially sighted people to travel independently, the RNIB believes.

Respondents to the survey noted a lack of tactile information at bus stops, making it difficult to know which bus has arrived, and routes failing to go near hospitals meaning difficulty accessing appointments.

“I am having seven or eight hospital appointments a month at the moment, which costs approximately £32 per trip via taxi,” one anonymous respondent said.

They added: “I would love to use public transport, except none of them go anywhere near [the] hospital. Therefore, I have no other option but to use taxi services, which uses a lot of money.”

A failing service

Erik Matthies, the RNIB’s policy lead for travel and transport, said that the report highlights “just how far services are failing to help those of us with sight loss get around.”

“This isn’t just a missed bus – this could be the difference between someone working or not, getting to vital college classes, keeping up with friends, or hitting the gym,” Matthies said.

He called on policy-makers to “step up and play their part in making travel work for us all,” noting that upcoming plans to extend bus franchising in England and Wales presents an opportunity for local authorities and bus operators to make buses safer and more reliable for those with sight loss.

“From the quality of pavements near bus stops, to the information displayed on digital signs, people with sight loss face countless challenges even before they board a bus, as well as increasingly finding concessionary fares are only available for limited times of day,” Matthies said.

He added: “This hard-hitting report reveals an infrastructure and service that needs a redesign – with all passengers in mind.”