Go-Ahead Group is to roll-out its new accessibility card, Helping Hand, across all its UK routes, serving 800,000 passengers a day. It follows a trial in Brighton.
It comes as the Department for Transport looks at adopting a nationally-recognised card for disabled people using buses, in the wake of the recent Bus Services Act.
Ministers are considering a single card, to be recognised by all transport operators, and Go-Ahead is offering the design of its Helping Hand card, which is unbranded and was developed in partnership with charity groups and users.
The card removes the need for customers to verbally explain their disability, which often causes discomfort and anxiety.
The card, simple to use and discreet, is designed to address the fact that many disabilities are not immediately obvious.
It is made of sturdy plastic and it is printed in bold black type on a high-visibility yellow background.
Bespoke messages on the cards focus on the type of help needed such as: Please be patient if I’m confused, Please wait until seated, Please speak clearly I lip read and Help count my change.
The Helping Hand card has been successfully piloted at Brighton & Hove Buses – a company renowned for its ground-breaking accessibility initiatives. Following its roll-out across the Go-Ahead Group, Helping Hand will be available to more than 800,000 passengers taking journeys every day.
Go-Ahead Group’s chief executive David Brown says: “For many disabled people, having access to user-friendly public transport can give them the independence and freedom to take control of their own lives. By introducing an accessibility card across our network, we are sending a clear message to our customers that we want them to feel comfortable and safe using our services.”
Victoria Garcia, Go-Ahead’s senior accessibility advisor, adds: “This initiative was born out of exhaustive countrywide research. Our goal is to empower passengers to feel confident in taking public transport. We found that many of the existing schemes intended to improve accessibility amounted to flimsy cardboard, DIY messages either handwritten by customers or run off on a computer.
“We were clear that we wanted to focus on the type of help required, rather than the details of the customer’s condition. Our unbranded card is already being used across bus operators, in shops, in cinemas and even on the continent. We’re very proud of this initiative and we hope that it will be adopted widely across the country.”
The Helping Hand scheme will now be available across Go-Ahead’s network, including Brighton & Hove, MetroBus, konect, Headingham and Chambers, Go North East, Salisbury Reds, Morebus, Thamesdown, Bluestar, Southern Vectis, MetroBus, Oxford Bus Company and Plymouth Citybus.
