Go North East. Accessibility Guide. Making bus travel easy and accessible for everyone. simplygo.com/accessibility

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1 Go North East Accessibility Guide Making bus travel easy and accessible for everyone. simplygo.com/accessibility

2 Fully accessible bus services that are easy to use Go North East has a passion for customer service and innovation and is committed to providing the best possible service for all of our customers, above and beyond what is legally required. We work hard to ensure that any customer with a disability, be it visual impairment or mobility issues, receives the best possible service. All our regular services now provide easy access for all passengers through the provision of kneeling low floor and ramp access buses. Our Easy Access Guarantee provides the added reassurance that, should a problem occur, a complimentary taxi will be arranged. 2

3 Our website has talking software that translates the text to speech and the site can also be viewed in high colour contrast schemes and enlarged text. On our vehicles, we are extending our audio-visual next stop announcements to more services. Customer feedback over the years has helped us to improve the accessibility of our services and of the information we provide. Our aim is to provide easy access services for all passengers who have disabilities, as well as to support and assist anyone who requires it, making our services easier and more enjoyable to use for all of our customers. 3

4 Our Buses Easy Access buses are now allocated to every one of Go North East s regular local bus services. These enable all Go North East customers, including wheelchair users, people with buggies, people with assistance dogs and other mobility issues, to get on and off easily. Our drivers will stop at all bus stops where there are passengers waiting unless a clear signal is given that the bus is not required. To make travelling easier, Go North East is currently introducing next stop announcements on many of its routes. These audio announcements keep you informed of the approach to bus stops and major destinations so you can sit back, relax and wait for your stop to be announced. Our fleet is fitted with CCTV cameras inside and out to provide a safe and secure environment and we continue to invest as CCTV technology improves. Two-way radio communication enables our drivers to instantly summon assistance. A vehicle location system using mobile technology is soon to be installed. This will immediately pinpoint the location of any bus or incident, improving response times and passenger support. 4

5 Access Ramps The majority of our low floor buses have ramps which are unfolded by hand by the driver who will try to anticipate your need for the ramp to be deployed. If you require the ramp, please inform the bus driver who will assist you. To improve the reliability of ramps on our buses, we have made a conscious decision to move away from problematic mechanical ramps. Instead, we have an ongoing programme to replace them with manual ramps on all of our buses. This is already delivering dependable ramp operation to many users. 5

6 Our Buses Handrails There are clearly visible vertical and horizontal handrails at appropriate places on all of our buses. Entrances and exits have handrails on both sides. Bells The large sized bell pushes can be worked by the palm of the hand and are placed at sitting and standing height throughout our buses. There are also blue bell pushes in reach of the wheelchair space. Use of this bell alerts the driver. 6

7 Route and destination Our approach to route branding has been found by many people to be very helpful unique combinations of colours and logos for about 50 of our routes help distinguish which bus to catch. Routes and destinations are shown on the front, side and/or the back of the bus. They comply with best practice so that they can be easily seen, however if you are blind or partially sighted and require help, please ask and the bus driver will announce the service number and destination. Please inform the driver if you require assistance to identify your destination. The driver will then announce destinations as they are approached unless the bus is fitted with a next stop announcement system. 7

8 Bridge Card The Bridge Card scheme is in place across the north east region in order to assist passengers in bringing any concerns they have about their journey to the attention of the driver discretely when boarding. The Bridge Card lets the driver know that you may need extra help during a journey whether because of age, disability, illness or lack of confidence. Bridge Cards can be obtained from Go North East by calling or from your local authority. If you would like the driver to wait until you have sat down before departing or if you have any other concerns, please feel free to ask as you get on the bus or show your Bridge Card if you have one. 8

9 Travelling with a concessionary pass Concessionary passes must be placed on smart card readers on the bus to record your journey. If you have a concessionary pass, here are some guidelines on how to use it on our buses: As your concessionary pass has a photo on it the driver may ask to see it. To use the pass place it on top of the ticket machine. Once you have placed the card on the reader, an amber light will display on the panel. This will quickly turn to green and a ticket will be issued from the ticket machine. If you see a red light the driver will tell you what to do next. Take your ticket from the ticket machine and then take a seat. If you are unable to access the card reader, show the driver your pass and they will assist you. If you don t have a concessionary pass, and believe you may be eligible, you can apply for one at your local council. 9

10 Easy Access for everyone On all easy access buses, wheelchairs, mobility scooters, walking frames and disability adapted pushchairs have priority in the dedicated wheelchair space. There is room for one user and each bus has a retractable ramp which makes access easier. Our buses comply with regulations for the size and width that can be accommodated. On all Go North East buses, including buses with two doors, you board at the front doors where the ramp is located. Once on board, position yourself in the wheelchair space with your back against the rear-facing backrest and apply the brake. The wheelchair space may have a folding seat which other passengers can use. The seat will be easy to fold up, even if you have impaired movement or strength. On some buses a folding arm rail is also fitted. Our drivers will be happy to help with this if required. To leave the bus, press the bell next to the wheelchair space shortly before your stop to inform the driver that you would like to get off. The bus will pull in close to the curb and you can disembark at the front doors where the driver will place the ramp. The wheelchair space is a dedicated space for use by passengers using wheelchairs, mobility scooters or other mobility aids. Whilst this space may be used by other passengers, such as carers with children s buggies, it must be vacated by them if a wheelchair user requires the space. Signage on the bus supports this and the driver will provide all reasonable assistance to ensure this is observed. 10

11 Wheelchairs & powered wheelchairs We can accommodate most wheelchairs and powered wheelchairs providing they are no more than 1200mm long and 700mm wide and do not exceed 65kg in weight. Mobility Scooters We can accommodate most mobility scooters providing they are no more than 1200mm long and 700mm wide and do not exceed 65kg in weight. 11

12 Easy Access Guarantee We continue to be the only bus operator in the region to offer a full Easy Access Guarantee to cover all circumstances. The Easy Access Guarantee provides reassurance that if a passenger using a compliant wheelchair or any other mobility aid, is unable to board a Go North East bus because of a non-operative ramp, there is no space in the wheelchair bay, or a non-accessible bus is allocated to an easy access route, or for any other reason, a complimentary accessible taxi will be offered to the customer. The guarantee applies if the wheelchair space is already in use by a disabled passenger, or if other passengers refuse to vacate the space after being requested to do so by the driver. Although wheelchairs, mobility scooters, walking frames and disability adapted pushchairs have priority in the dedicated wheelchair space, the driver may depend upon the co-operation of other customers to vacate this space for a passenger who is disabled. This guarantee applies to anyone using a wheelchair, mobility scooter that complies with the necessary restrictions on size and weight explained in this guide, walking frame or disability adapted pushchair for a disabled child. 12

13 Assistance dogs Go North East welcomes all assistance dogs, including guide dogs, hearing dogs, fetch and carry dogs and mental health companion dogs. All we ask is that your dog does not block the gangway and remains on a lead at all times. Dogs travel at no charge and no ticket is issued. Please be aware that other dogs may be allowed to travel on the same bus at the discretion of the driver. Pushchairs and Buggies Our buses have a dedicated space for buggies and pushchairs as well as a wheelchair space. Most buses can accommodate up to two buggies, or one buggy and a wheelchair user but if someone in a wheelchair wishes to board, and the wheelchair space is occupied by standing passengers or buggies, standing passengers and owners of buggies must free up the dedicated wheelchair space. Wheelchairs, mobility scooters, walking frames and disability adapted pushchairs have priority in the dedicated wheelchair space. If the space is required, buggy owners should fold buggies and put them in the luggage space or keep them by their side, if there is no room in the buggy space. Please make sure that buggies are safely positioned within the designated areas and do not block the gangway. For a quick guide to using buggies on our servies, see our dedicated buggy guide which can be downloaded from 13

14 Accessibility of information Go North East has a number of information sources in place to make bus travel easier. You can get information online at or call to speak to a member of our customer services team. We re open from 7.00am to 7.00pm Monday to Friday, and 9.00am to 5.00pm at the weekends. If you would rather speak to someone in person, then you can visit one of the travel centres at Metrocentre, Washington Galleries, Chester le Street or North Shields, or our supervisors at the bus stations at Eldon Square, Gateshead, Stanley or Consett. Online & Mobile Our website is fully compatible with mobiles and tablets and to make our website easy to use, we have a program that enables any person with a visual disability or learning difficulty, e.g. dyslexia, to access our website in a personalised way. The program allows you to adjust the colours, enlarge text and have the text you select automatically read out to you. This facility can be accessed simply by clicking on the Speak Me logo located on the top right hand side of every page on the website. This facility is also available when the website is accessed via smart phones. You can also talk to us online on our private one to one live chat facility or openly via Facebook and Twitter. 14

15 Talk to us You and your individual travel requirements are very important to us. Every member of staff at Go North East works hard to make all of our services the best that they can be. If you find, for whatever reason that we are not meeting your expectations, or you would like to make suggestions about improving the accessibility of our services, we would really like to hear from you. Our locally based customer services team are on hand to help and can be contacted in a number of ways to suit everyone. You can talk to us directly using any of the following options: Live web chat: simplygo.com/contact-us Facebook: facebook.com/simplygne customerservices@gonortheast.co.uk Call: Using landline: Using mobile:

16 Go North East. At the heart of the region since 1913 Go North East is the region s largest bus company, operating a fleet of nearly 700 buses and employing more than 2,100 people. In 2013 we celebrated 100 years of service that began in 1913 with Northern General Transport and continues now and into the future as Go North East by adding 100 new buses with the latest features for accessibility into our fleet. simplygo.com/accessibility Accessibility Guide - Version 1.0