UG430 - Accessible Coach Trial
Overview
Background & policy context:
Moves towards improving the accessibility of long-distance coaches had lagged behind developments in mainstream urban bus services. To some extent, this was attributed to the different functional requirements of coach services,
- Coaches stop infrequently, and do so at sites which vary in nature, from coach stations and principal stops, where assistance with boarding is usually available, to more rural locations where facilities can be far more basic;
- Although coaches do use some roadside stops under normal circumstances, a high proportion of their route follows the trunk road network. Therefore, whilst they benefit from infrastructure improvements, the benefit delivered is less significant, and so the incentive to form Bus Quality Partnerships with a particular authority is reduced;
- Coach design has traditionally been predicated upon an approach whereby the lower level of the vehicle is used for a baggage hold, whilst passengers ascend to an elevated seating position which offers enhanced views, which is in conflict with the principle of level access.
The research was commissioned in order to test the viability of an accessible long-distance coach on the Bath - London Heathrow - London Victoria route.
Objectives:
The concept for the research project was that it should monitor the impact of running wheelchair accessible coaches on the Bath – Heathrow – London coach route. More specifically, the objective of the monitoring project was to provide a comparison of usage of the service, particularly by wheelchair users, immediately before, and then a year after, the introduction of the lift-equipped vehicles.
Methodology:
The general methodology for doing this was to:
- Mount a major survey of passenger numbers and passengers’ opinions immediately prior to the introduction of the accessible service, and then to perform a “before & after” analysis of the impact of the service, by mounting a duplicate survey a year later;
- Elicit wheelchair using passengers’ reactions to, and experiences with, the accessible service by interviewing them by telephone after their trip(s);
- Carry out a stakeholder consultation exercise with drivers and operators, both immediately before the introduction of the service, and after the service had been running for a year; and
- Conduct a detailed examination of the accessibility characteristics of the coach route and of the vehicles themselves.
The assessment of the accessible coach trial was based on one to one interviews with users of the service, drivers of the coaches and their managers, and maintenance staff at the depot.
The chosen method for obtaining the views and experiences of wheelchair users on the 403 service was telephone interviews:
- Type of wheelchair used on the journey
- Description of journey (origin, destination, purpose, mode used to access the coach)
- Whether advance booking procedure was used
- Using the wheelchair lift (safety, speed, any feeling of stigmatisation, comfort, driver attitude)
- Facilities and the coach stop / station (accessibility, personal security, information, comfort)
- On board the coach (design of restraints, comfort of ride)
- Improvements desired.
Drivers were interviewed at Bath Bus and Coach Station during March 2002 and March 2004. This involved an informal ten-minute discussion covering general experiences of driving the new coaches and using the wheelchair lift. Specific issues addressed were as follows;
- Experience of driving the 403 route before and during the trial
- Views on training
- Impact of the additional length of the coaches
- Number of wheelchair users carried during the trial
- Experiences of using the wheelchair lift (impact on stop dwell times, driver safety, passenger safety, dealing with disabled people generally)
- Whether the
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