Pictured with the X6 service is Ben Hobday, project manager
at Travel de Courcey, with Beverley Muldoon and her guide dog,
Fifi
Travel de Courcey has become the first bus operator in Coventry
and Warwickshire to introduce audio announcements to help blind and
partially sighted passengers.
The audio bus stop announcements will be launched on the
Coventry to Leicester X6 service in February and will be fitted as
standard on any new buses added to the firm's fleet.
This will include audio announcements being installed to the new
electric buses currently being built for Coventry's Park and Ride
service which operates from the War Memorial Park.
The X6 is also being extended to operate every day of the week,
with a new Sunday service starting from January 29 to include three
return journeys as well as an additional direct link from Burbage
to Coventry and Leicester, which includes Fosse Park.
Ben Hobday, project manager at Travel de Courcey, said: "As well
as having a visual display, our buses on the X6 service now have
audio announcements informing passengers of the next stop.
"It involves a piece of equipment being fitted to the vehicle
which has a satellite navigation system to automatically trigger
the right announcements being made at points on the journey between
Coventry and Leicester."
It is the latest initiative by Travel de Courcey which has
gained widespread recognition for its innovative and
customer-focused approach.
The X6 service, which serves University Hospital Coventry and
Leicester Royal Infirmary, also includes free Wi-Fi for
passengers.
The move has been welcomed by Guide Dogs which is campaigning
for a change in public transport regulations to make audio and
visual information available on bus and coach services throughout
the UK.
Its Talking Bus campaign is calling for audible announcements to
be made of the current stop, next stop and final destination to
enable blind and partially sighted people to use buses with
confidence.
John Welsman, Guide Dogs' Transport Policy Officer, said: "We're
trying to help the 180,000 people living with sight loss who
struggle to leave home alone, and every bus company that adopts
audio visual systems helps us to do that.
"Buses are often the most accessible and affordable form of
public transport for blind and partially sighted people.
"Not knowing where you are on a journey or when you've reached
your stop deters many visually impaired people, like myself, from
using buses.
"Providing passengers with audible and visual information about
the next stop and final destination will increase their
confidence.
"Travel de Courcey's new audio visual systems will enhance every
passenger's experience, especially those living with sight
loss."
Beverley Muldoon, who lives in Leamington Spa, has cone
dystrophy, which means her sight is adversely affected by bright
light, and relies on her guide dog, Fifi.
Beverley said: "Using a bus without audio visual announcements
is difficult because you have to rely on other people to tell you
when you're at your stop, but they often forget.
"If you get off at the wrong stop, it's easy to end up lost. Bus
companies such as Travel de Courcey adopting audio visual systems
can only be a good thing."
The government recently announced £50 million of funding
for bus companies to reduce congestion, improve bus stations and
provide better information for passengers.
Guide Dogs wants bus operators to bid for money from the
government's new Better Bus Areas fund to install audio visual
systems to make buses easier to use for all.
For more information regarding the X6 service and the revised
timetable, contact Travel de Courcey on 024 7630 2656.