Thirty organisations attended the inaugural Inclusive Cab Summit organised by Women in Transport and First Bus at the operator’s depot in Leicester on Tuesday.
Manufacturers, operators, suppliers, trade unions, trade bodies and drivers were among those setting the ball rolling towards the creation of a “gold charter” for inclusive cab design for coaches and buses.
Women in Transport’s Diversity and Inclusion Bus Group was following up on its driver survey conducted in January which highlighted temperature control, noise distraction, body positioning, lack of space and vision impairment as the most common issues raised.
Manufacturers such as Alexander Dennis, Wrightbus, Pelican Bus and Coach and Volvo Buses were on hand to hear feedback at an event hosted by keynote speaker, Mike Adams, Chief Executive Officer of Purple Tuesday, an initiative aimed at improving the customer experience for disabled people and their families.
On the operating front, Stagecoach, National Express, Go North East, Blackpool Transport, Oxford Bus Company, Uno Bus, Abellio, Arriva and Nottingham City Transport joined First Bus at the summit.
Representatives from Transport for London and Transport Research Laboratory were also present, including to talk about cab design research conducted as part of its Bus Safety Standard.
Also among 70 attendees were representatives from Confederation of Passenger Transport and Bus Users UK.
The event closed with a pledge to “keep the conversation going” which was signed by those in attendance.
Caroline Ward, Spokesperson for Women in Transport, says: “It is a great achievement to get so many people together in one place all with a common goal to improve the working environment for themselves and their colleagues; and to ensure a career in bus driving provides a safe, comfortable and inclusive space to work from.
“You could feel the energy and momentum in the room and it feels like a pivotal moment in building inclusivity and accessibility in our sector. I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who attended and to First Bus for supporting this ground-breaking event to shape the future of bus cab design.”
Gareth Hind, Director of Colleague Experience and Relations, First Bus, adds: “We are delighted to have played host to such an innovative event and help to stimulate conversation around such an important topic. At First Bus, as one of the UK’s largest bus operators, it is our collective responsibility to inspire a more inclusive environment and to create a workplace that is accepting of everyone so they can be their true selves and succeed.
“The bus industry offers many exciting career opportunities and so it is important that we offer those to as many people as possible. By creating a gold standard of inclusive cab design, we can improve the driving experience further for our current and future drivers across the country.”
Plans are under way for the next summit at Chapman Seating’s West Bromwich site in October.
