Still time to support the NFBUKs petition on safety and accessibility at bus stops in cycle lanes
NFBUK logo – The voice of blind people.
The National Federation of the Blind of the UK (NFBUK) is extremely concerned about the safety and accessibility of floating bus stops and shared use bus stop boarders in cycle lanes in the UK.
Floating bus stops are bus stops which you have to cross the cycle lane from the pavement to get to the bus stop, which is located on a long island, or where you have to step into a live cycle lane to get on and off a bus. The bus stops are excluding and are locking blind people out of using the bus.
Lord Holmes of Richmond, the Blind Peer who lead the Paralympic Movement in London in 2012, called for a moratorium on the designs in a recent debate on transport in the House of Lords. Professor Anna Lawson, the UK’s first female, blind professor of law came with us, and with her Guide Dog Fin, to hand the petition in at 10 Downing Street just a week before the election was called. You can see videos of these below:
- Lord Holmes calling for a moratorium on floating bus stops, House of Lords Transport Debate 25/04/24 (1 minute, 11 seonds) – YouTube
- Professor Anna Lawson hands in petition at 10 Downing Street against the use of floating bus stops. (36 seconds) – YouTube
These bus stops are not safe or accessible for blind and visually impaired people. It is essential that access to and from the bus is direct from the kerbside, so passengers can board and alight the bus directly from the pavement without having to cross or step into a cycle lane first. Our petition to halt these designs already has over 280 supporting organisations. We have handed the petition into the previous Government 5 times with blind, visually impaired and wheelchair users, all which have been impacted by these bus stops. We will re-petition the new Prime Minister once the election has taken place.
If your organisation would like to support this petition or learn more about it, please email Sarah Gayton, the NFBUK’s Street Access Campaign Coordinator or phone 07903 155858, or email the NFBUK office.
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