17 November 2006
SPT wins top transport award
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport has been recognised at the Scottish Transport Awards for its commitment to making public transport more accessible to passengers with disabilities.
At last night's (16 November) ceremony in Edinburgh, SPT - the Regional Transport Partnership for the west of Scotland - was delighted to win the award for Improved Access for Disabled People after introducing new technology and making important modifications to both Buchanan (Glasgow) and East Kilbride bus stations.
SPT has invested £200,000 in improving access for disabled people over the past three years, after Accessibility Audits on bus stations and travel centres outlined exactly what needed to be done to improve the environment at these facilities for people with disabilities.
SPT has put in place a chain of measures at both bus stations and travel centres to help customers who are visually impaired. These include the REACT system, an audio way-finding system that guides visually impaired passengers as they move around bus stations. REACT was developed in partnership with the Royal National Institute for the Blind and uses strategically placed beacons which are activated by an electronic fob that is carried by customers and relays a pre-recorded message to them.
Another piece of technology, the Terminal for the Visually Impaired (TVI) system, gives on-screen and audio access to timetable and stance information. Four large Braille style coded buttons are used to guide passengers through the system and the information is provided in both an audio and large text format to ensure easy reading.
Tactile maps at Buchanan assist visually impaired passengers to move around the bus station and adjacent streets, and audio systems that announce the next three departures from a particular stance have also been introduced to help create an easier journey for people with disabilities.
Among some of the other modifications to be made at Buchanan and East Kilbride bus stations, and other travel centres where relevant, are:
- New dropped counters to assist customers using wheelchairs
- Induction loops to assist travellers with hearing problems
- Painted yellow kerbs at all stances to illustrate boarding points
- Glazed panels which have been marked to define walkways
- Seating with armrests to help people with mobility problems
- Lighting levels specifically set to minimise reflections, glare and shadows
- Contrasting paving installed to provide a line of sight and assist way-finding
- Level access is provided wherever possible with plenty of space to allow people with wheelchairs room to manouvre
- Paper based information is displayed at a suitable height for people in wheelchairs
- The turnstiles at the Buchanan toilet entrance have been replaced to allow easier access
Following SPT's success at the Transport Awards, Chief Executive Ron Culley said, "SPT staff have worked tirelessly on improving accessibility for passengers with disabilities for a number of years so I am delighted with this award as it is thoroughly deserved.
"SPT is determined to make sure that public transport is available, affordable and accessible to all sections of the community. That commitment is clearly demonstrated in the efforts we have put into removing the barriers for people with disabilities at Scotland's busiest bus station and at other facilities within Strathclyde."
ends