Disability campaigners are urging transport bosses in Edinburgh to allow people with mobility scooters to get on buses and trams.
Potential Risk
Transport for Edinburgh currently claims that mobility scooters aren’t allowed on trams or buses because of large passenger volumes, the challenge of manoeuvring them on and off and the potential risk to other passengers.
Edinburgh Southern SNP MSP Jim Eadie has hit back and called for a review, saying that public transport should be accessible for all. Disability campaigners also labelled the policy “outright discrimination”. Champion fundraiser, war veteran and scooter-user Tom Gilzean condemned the move as a “slap in the face”.
Main Transport Networks
“Given we are living in 2015, it is about time that transport within Edinburgh was accessible for all.”
Mr Eadie said: “The vast majority of people in Edinburgh rely on both the tram and bus networks for commuting to and from work, socialising or shopping. It is not right in today’s society that some in our community are being excluded from using either buses or trams.
“Given we are living in 2015, it is about time that transport within Edinburgh was accessible for all. Let’s not forget that these methods are Edinburgh’s two main transport networks and they should allow access for all and not be selective.”
Top Priority
Transport for Edinburgh said accessibility was a big priority across all its services.
Chief executive Ian Craig said: “We’re currently trialling bicycle access on our trams and once that’s complete we’ll look at options open to us around mobility scooter access.
“Our accessibility is presently very good but if we can make it better then of course we’ll do what we can to ensure that everyone who wants to travel with us has the best experience possible.”
