The Drenthe chapter of travelers association Rover and the Accessibility Council Aa and Hunze are concerned about the safety of wheelchair users on the bus. In a letter to carrier Qbuzz, they call for rapid improvements.
With a ramp and a lowered floor, the bus has been accessible to everyone since November last year. This makes it easier for people in a wheelchair, with a suitcase or stroller to take the bus. Previously this was done with an elevator.
Adjusting the buses does not mean that wheelchair users are safe on the bus. According to the two organizations, many drivers do not know how to operate the mandatory restraint systems.
If the wheelchair is not secured, this can cause dangerous situations, for example in the event of an emergency stop or a collision. Will Gerbers of Rover Drenthe states that there is even a legal violation if the wheelchairs are not properly secured.
“There are drivers who know how it works, but they then encounter a technical problem that requires the wheelchair to be transported separately. But there are also drivers who simply don’t know,” says Gerbers.
“I haven’t heard of any accidents with wheelchairs so far, but strange things can happen. A Qliner can go up to 100 kilometers per hour. And you will have a collision or have to make an emergency stop. Then I don’t want to know what happens.”
The letter to the carrier calls for structural measures. Rover Drenthe and the Accessibility Council Aa and Hunze propose to include the instructions for wheelchair attachment as standard in the mandatory further training. They also recommend showing the instructional videos on screens in the staff canteens.
Arjan van Dijk from Qbuzz explains that bus drivers pay a lot of attention to reaching their destination on time. “In practice, our drivers experience that on the one hand they want to drive ‘punctually’ and on the other hand they want to serve travelers in wheelchairs as best as possible,” he says. “Although we think it is important that proper attention is paid to travelers in wheelchairs, in practice this is sometimes not the case. We apologize to these travelers.”
The carrier indicates that they have recently received a number of reports from travelers in wheelchairs who were unable to travel properly on the bus. To improve transport for wheelchair users, every driver will receive renewed training.
“On the one hand, with instructions on how to operate the wheelchair facilities on board, and on the other hand, with the instruction that a good trip for a traveler in a wheelchair is more important than punctuality,” Van Dijk explains. “Because not every bus driver regularly travels with a passenger in a wheelchair, we are committed to ensuring that there is regular attention to active training and support for our drivers on this theme to keep knowledge and skills up to date.”
Gerbers is not yet immediately cheering on Qbuzz’s steps. “We have been promised this before. It now falls into the category ‘deeds, not words’. I hope that training will be provided and that practice will take place regularly.”
