Successful meeting to discuss local bus travel across North Wales

Last week we facilitated a meeting about how blind and sight loss passengers experience local bus travel across North Wales.

Among the speakers were RNIB Cymru’s Rachel Jones; Rebecca Hamilton-Adams from Arriva buses and Nia Greer from Vision Support.

Everyone shared honest feedback about what works well and what still needs improving.

Service users talked about their challenges, including timetables that are difficult to read; stops being changed without notice and how some buses drive past without stopping.

One service user shared positive experiences with drivers who kindly tell her when she has reached her stop.

Although the Arriva app has improved, it still isn’t accessible for those who rely on large text. 

Many have given feedback through online forms, but responses often feel generic and don’t address the issues raised.

Rebecca from Arriva was invited to our Q and A session to discuss questions about bus number changes, reasons for service changes and how Arriva handles feedback.

She also discussed improvements such as clearer audio announcements, talking timetables and a Manchester pilot where a you press button and it announces the next three buses.

The group also explored practical ideas like using flashcards to signal assistance; illuminated bus hailer cards showing the bus number and encouraging drivers to ask waiting passengers where they are heading.

Overall, the group agreed that better communication, more consistent driver awareness and more accessible information are essential steps to improving bus travel for blind and sight loss people across the region.

Bethan from the North Wales Society of the Blind said she was so pleased to see service users openly talking about what matters to them, and that the positive, constructive responses from Rebecca were refreshing and encouraging.