BUS company Salisbury Reds is backing a campaign, launched by the Department for Transport, which is designed to make buses more accessible for those with disabilities. 

The ‘Everyone’s Journey’ initiative aims to change people’s behaviour by helping them recognise the challenges faced by disabled people on public transport. 

“Buses and other public transport are at the heart of how many of us live our lives - helping us get to work, school or college, healthcare commitments, and social events,” said Salisbury Reds managing director, Andrew Wickham. 

“At Salisbury Reds, we want public transport to be truly inclusive, and disabled people to be able to travel as confidently as other passengers.

"At present many of those with disabilities - some of which we can’t necessarily see - don’t feel confident to use public transport. And one in four say that negative attitudes from other passengers prevent them from travelling.

“The Department for Transport’s new campaign aims to show other passengers the impact their unconscious behaviour can have on those with disabilities. It also encourages them to change their habits when travelling. This might be giving up a priority seat, being more patient with others, keeping noise down, or just being prepared to help those who appear to be struggling. 

“We focus on the challenges many disabled people face when travelling by bus when we carry out our driver training. For example, our team spends time wearing age suits, special glasses designed to help them experience sight loss, and other equipment intended to give them empathy for their disabled customers. They are also trained as ‘Dementia Friends’.

“We also ensure all our new buses have lighter coloured floors because we have been told that this makes travelling easier for those with dementia. We hope this latest campaign will encourage us all to make the changes needed to create a more supportive travel environment for disabled customers.”