Wheels on the Bus . . .

Travel West Midlands recently invited customer and wheelchair user, Dave Jones to attend a Disability Awareness Training Session for Travel West Midlands bus drivers. The indepth course at TWM's Walsall Training Centre covered a variety of important issues including bus drivers' responsibilities when dealing with disabled customers.Steve Jasper, TWM's Customer Services Director, who accompanied Dave to TWM's Training Centre, said; "Dave keeps in regular contact with us here at Travel West Midlands and provides us with frank but fair comments on the TWM services he uses. We thought it would be a great idea to show him the training that all bus drivers - new and existing, go through to ensure that we continue to give the best possible customer service. Our customers are at the heart of the business and this will continue as we strive to make travel simpler and safer." Dave Jones added; "I was really impressed with how thorough the course was and the level of detail provided on different types of disability."Phil Tonks, Operations Officer for Bus Users UK commented; "Accessibility onto public transport for wheelchair users and other less mobile passengers is of great importance. Wheelchair users in particular must have confidence that the service provided will meet their needs, and much of that will require driving staff to be correctly trained to recognise those needs. Ongoing consultation between users and the company will be of great benefit to both the passenger and Travel West Midlands"Travel West Midlands works closely with a range of disabled groups and representatives of less mobile customers. Buses and instructors have been provided for training purposes to groups of sight impaired customers and more recently for National Falls Awareness day. Input has also been provided to Heart of Birmingham PCT in the form of specific bus safety information for issue to elderly bus users. Pictured (left to right) Dave Jones with Adrian Allcock, Training Instructor at Travel West Midlands.

Published 5th August 2007