Calls for more buses and bus stops to 'talk' to visually impaired in Coventry and Warwickshire - The Coventry Observer

Calls for more buses and bus stops to 'talk' to visually impaired in Coventry and Warwickshire

Coventry Editorial 10th Feb, 2020 Updated: 10th Feb, 2020   0

BLIND and visually impaired bus passengers in Coventry and Warwickshire are calling on bus companies to introduce ‘next-stop’ announcements on all buses.

They say people with visual impairments are missing their destinations, or are unable to find timetable information, as bus stops and buses are not set up with audio announcements.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Branch of the National Federation of the blind is now campaigning for announcements on all services by the end of City of Culture year 2021.

The branch said people with serious sight loss want to alight with confidence at their destination.




Branch secretary Karina Gregory said: “If Coventry is to deserve the grand title, ‘City of Culture’, it must ensure that all its citizens with disabilities can access the buses and travel without anxiety about alighting where they actually want to go.”

Research by the NFB branch found while new models of buses have ‘next-stop’ announcements, too many buses had no audio information at all.


Professor Fred Reid, campaigns officer, said: “I was on one of those buses with silent announcements, and I went three stops past my destination on Leamington Parade. It was very tricky walking back up The Parade with all those complicated crossings.”

National Express revealed it only had next-stop announcements on three routes in Coventry, and on 400 new buses which could use the technology out of its fleet of 1100.

A spokesperson for Stagecoach Midlands told the Observer that Coventry and Warwickshire had 17 buses running with next stop audio announcements.

The NFB branch also said Coventry was one of the first UK cities to use ‘react key-fobs’, which speak timetables. But they can stop working because of radio interference and batteries running out quickly.

Graham Wale, branch campaigner, said: “The stops are the responsibility of Transport for West Midlands, which should urgently review the extent and quality of provision.”

Speaking to BBC CWR, Martin Hancock, development director of National Express West Midlands, said it could be five years before it fulfils its aspiration of having talking buses on all its fleet.

He also said: “In the bus station (Pool Meadow) there are braille guidelines but you have to know where they are. I think education and information would help a lot in finding these.

“It would be ideal to have automated ways to select which bus you are looking for.”

Mr Hancock said: “We know about problems with the technology on those stops. we don’t control them but we will be working closely with the organisations that do.”

Confirming National Express had an aspiration to have all bus stops talking, Mr Hancock added: “There is no current time-frame – although it should be a standard feature on all bus stops, it is an area where we need to lobby hard, but it is something we would like and we will work with the people who provide the bus stops.”

A spokesperson for Transport for West Midlands, which operates bus stops, said: “Stops with digital departure information screens have the ability to provide audio announcement of location and next departures.

“Currently there are over 200 of these in Coventry which includes stops in the city centre and at Pool Meadow bus station.

“Users who experience problems with audio announcement at stops can report it to TfWM customer services for investigation.

“Audio functionality is provided through React Key Fobs, a standard supported by RNIB and which has been in place for over 15 years. The fobs are issued free of charge by TfWM.

“The system’s radio frequency has become congested over time and interference from other devices can sometimes affect operation.

“TfWM is working to resolve those issues with bus operators through our Bus Alliance partnership and is happy to talk further with the RNIB about their concerns.

“We are also working with partners on the development of new bluetooth accessible technology and mobile apps which would be available at all bus stops.”

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