Bus firm is accused of letting down disabled passengers
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AN INVERNESS couple claim bus provider Stagecoach is failing to look after customers with disabilities properly.
Colin Henderson (50) and his wife Shirley (49) are both registered blind and rely on the company’s services to travel to appointments.
However, when they tried to find out via Stagecoach’s disability phone line about temporary alterations to routes, their messages went unanswered.
When Mr Henderson complained, he was advised to check the internet and was told that a response to his phone calls would take between 10 and 15 days.
Now the couple, who live in Castlehill Drive in Cradlehall, say they are fed-up of what they perceive to be a lack of care towards the disabled community.
"We use the Stagecoach service quite regularly," Mr Henderson said.
"We have our granddaughter living with us at the minute and we have been trying to take her to swimming lessons at the Aquadome.
"The bus route changed because of the roadworks around Kenneth Street and Tomnahurich Street. I can’t see to use the internet so we didn’t know about it until I tried to use the bus on Tuesday.
"I phoned the Stagecoach disability helpline and left messages on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Nobody got back to me.
"Stagecoach are supposed to be offering a disability service but if they can’t even answer the phone, then what’s the point?"
Mr Henderson has called for the company to employ someone with a disability to man the phone line, and believes that is the only way it will work.
"If they are running this service for disabled people they should maybe put a disabled person in charge of it, because they would at least understand," he said.
"It’s just ridiculous. Stagecoach promise access for all, but we are trying to access their service and can’t."
A spokeswoman for Stagecoach North Scotland said: "We are extremely sorry that this customer has been unable to contact us via telephone and would like to arrange a meeting with one of our managers to discuss their concerns in more detail ahead of the next disruption in Kenneth Street.
"In the past we have arranged alternative timetables for partially sighted or blind customers and would be happy to do so for this couple in Inverness."
