Stop for me, speak to me: RNIB calls for dramatic improvements in bus travel for passengers with sight loss
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9 in 10 people with sight loss cannot see an approaching bus in time to hail it
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8 in 10 people with sight loss say they miss the bus they want.
Download the report
Catching a bus should not be a sight test
October marks the launch of our new bus campaign: Stop for me, speak to me.
We're calling on bus operators to remove the barriers blind and partially sighted people face when making a bus journey like trying to flag down, board and get off a bus at the right stop by following one simple rule: Stop for me, speak to me.
RNIB's new survey of blind and partially sighted people found other access barriers too:
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6 in 10 people said buses which stopped away from the official bus stop caused them to often miss their bus or step off the bus into hazards such as bins and lamp posts
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Over half of respondents said they had difficulty obtaining spoken information from the driver such as the bus number and destination.
When it goes wrong
"I have good days and bad days with the buses. Recently I had a bad day as I had to wait ages for one to stop for me and not go whizzing past. They don't always tell you what number their bus is, which isn't very helpful. If a bus is right next to me then I can just about make out the number but I can't see if it's far away or approaching."
Phil, bus user
Too often the way the bus service is run makes "seeing" an essential ability for using the bus services. Whether you have only just started to lose your sight or you've been living with sight loss all your life, your local bus can be a lifeline to get to work, to the shops or for keeping up with family and friends.
How it should be
"I more often have good experiences than bad, thankfully: drivers call out the bus number before being asked, and if it's not the one I want may tell me my bus is just behind them…"
Jane, bus user
Jane's bus operator is getting things right - we want to convince all bus operators to get things right for Phil and thousands like him across the country.
Getting around is simply not a nice to have - it's a must.
"I welcome this report and my Company, Reading Transport fully supports RNIB's campaign. I'm shocked, but as a one-time conductor many years ago, hardly surprised that 8 in 10 people who are blind or partially sighted say they've missed a bus because they could not hail it."
James Freeman, Chief Executive Officer, Reading Transport
Take action
Visit our latest news and get involved pages to find out more about recent developments in the campaign and ways you can take action in your area.
You can also search for the hashtag #stop4me on twitter to see what's being said online!