Please no one take this as me being rude, I am just wanting to understand. I ask how many of the requests which go through to the assisted travel team actually need to go to them? NatEx vehicles are set up ready for wheelchairs straight away. All buses should have the necessary equipment anyway because that's a PSVAR requirement. Most accessibility aids should fit under the bus with ease. The only issues that I could ever foresee are some stops not being accessible (but that should be mentioned anyway ahead of booking). Turn up and go is literally the law now, no assistance has to be pre booked and if the railways are anything to go by, prebooking doesn't exactly do much except make people aware which kind of makes a mockery of turn up and go if you have to make people aware beforehand. I know that some people would have needs which aren't as easily catered for and so I am not canvassing to rid the team or anything like that, I am more curious as to why they get so many enquiries when most assisted travel comes under the existing law. You don't drop Tesco an email before you go in for your weekly shop with your wheelchair, you just turn up and go shopping. No one alerts local bus operators to them needing a wheelchair space, they just turn up and go. Why is the attitude so different still for intercity coaches?
Correct, all vehicles should be accessible, even when hired at short notice for breakdown cover of other issues. However, there are size and weight limits on all vehicles as regards the wheelchair lift and wheelchair space which can be an issue with, how can I put this delicately, the combination of a larger customer and larger powered chair. Also, not all battery types (when it comes to powered chairs and buggies) can be carried, whether onboard or stowed underneath. Even different versions of Levantes have slightly different sized wheelchair spaces.
If the customer does make their request in advance, all these can be checked and the team goes through any issues with the operator to ensure they are aware that, for example, they must use a Levante 3 rather than a 2 where available for that trip. Otherwise the team will look to alternatives. A customer profile can be created ready for any future journeys, too.
Having notes on the booking chart and journey plan that a passenger with additional needs is booked will also help in the event of disruption because, again, accessibility can already be factored in if replacement vehicles or taxis end up being arranged by controllers.
The law requires reasonable adjustments be made to provide accessibility, and it does not seem entirely unreasonable that the company tries to avoid the risk of delay or inconvenience to passengers if adjustments or alternative arrangements have to be made without prior warning.
Stopping places are indeed an issue because apart from a few well-equipped coach stations, NX has to find safe suitable places in hundreds of other locations where it is dependent on infrastructure and road layouts dictated by scores of local authorities and other bus companies, and often has no say over changes or disruption to them.
To put it more simplistically in relation to your point above, the layout of Tesco's doors and aisles is unlikely to change much from day to day. The same can't be said for a fleet of road vehicles which is renewed over time and comes from a range of different suppliers, no matter how much a 100% standardised fleet would be ideal.
