Ushaw Moor, Pensioner angered over wheelchair access (From The Northern Echo)

A PENSIONER claims she has been made a virtual prisoner in her own home after a bus company stopped running all the buses on her route with wheelchair access. Shirley Robey, 72, of Ushaw Moor, near Durham City, has called on transport bosses at Arriva to reinstate Discrimation Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant buses for all services on the 43 service.

Mrs Robey, who relies on her powered wheelchair to get about outside her home, said all the Arriva buses on the route used to be single-decker buses with easy access until about a fortnight ago.

She said: “Last week all the buses were double-decker buses without wheelchair access and I couldn’t get on.

“I had to get to a medical appointment. I am completely stuck. It has made me a prisoner in my own home.”

She added: “This week they started running some double-deckers with a wheelchair access step.

“I have to get my son to come specially to come and help me when I want to get the bus. But it is now a gamble as to whether I am going to get a bus I can catch.

“It doesn’t only affect me. It causes problems for other pensioners in the village and for mothers with pushchairs.”

Nick Knox, area managing director for Arriva North said: “As a company we are committed to providing the best possible service for the communities we serve and we are on track to have our entire fleet DDA compliant before the government deadline of 2017.

“In 2013 we will be investing in another 21 buses with facilities to assist disabled passengers. !At the moment Service 43 is ran using low floor single and double deckers on the majority of journeys, but occasionally due to operational reasons, a step entrance double decker may be used on this route.”

via Pensioner angered over wheelchair access (From The Northern Echo).