Yet again coach – as in day-to-day, traditional coach – has a remit that is left out of PSVAR. As a person with an invisible illness, I am not being discriminatory to anyone that wishes to travel on general coaching work, but here goes:
What has been said is that the current PSVAR solution is a blindingly brilliant idea for coach. No, it is a Plaxton Paramount emergency door, and a large fuel flap in a side locker with a tail lift bolted down to meet regulations.
Is it safe? In my eyes, it is inhumane. Animals are loaded to slaughter with more rules than people to a coach via a wheelchair lift. What if there was a fall, or if a wheelchair user fell backwards?
What is needed is to stop the clock, and for bodybuilders to begin a proper work-through of an internal lift. On loading and unloading coaches, studies have been mentioned. I can do it in one hour. Politicians are welcome to come outside Portcullis House and meet
me and a PSVAR-compliant coach on traditional coach work at the Embankment and see how we deploy a lift at one of the busiest coach tourism spots in the UK. All they need is to leave their front door.
Infrastructure is not in place for our industry, so how can we meet the demand from disabled passengers?
Coach should not be led by bus on PSVAR. 20 years to make the country ready for us? Have any of us seen a coach park with a dedicated area for lift deployment? Bus had funding to reduce emissions and meet accessibility needs at the same time. Coach? The little cousins have had nothing.
We also want removable destination displays. If required, we can then refit them for jobs such as rail replacement where they are needed, so passengers on a tour can see out. The industry already gets complaints at times from folk who are unable to view our wonderful scenery.
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