Skip to content

Blind man left 'vulnerable' by bus stop challenges

Hannah Roe,in Brightonand
Josh McLaughlin,South East
Hannah Roe/BBC Daniel Walker stands at the bus stop for westbound services outside Churchill Square Shopping Centre during the day in Brighton. He is wearing a backpack and padded coat while holding a takeaway coffee cup in his right hand. He is standing on a stone-tiled pavement next to a post box by the stop. A Brighton & Hove Bus is turning on to an empty Western Road in the background.Hannah Roe/BBC
As he cannot see, Daniel Walker says he struggles to find his service when buses bunch together at stops

A blind man has said he felt vulnerable while "stuck waiting" at night in Brighton when unable to catch a bus due to accessibility issues.

Daniel Walker said he "couldn't get reliable information" on where his bus was while waiting at a stop in Churchill Square or reach Brighton & Hove Buses' customer service line as it was closed when he tried to call it at 22:00 GMT.

"Twice, while I was asking another bus driver about my bus, it stopped behind theirs and left without me," he posted on Facebook.

Nick Hill, commercial director at Brighton & Hove Buses, said "everyone should be able to travel with confidence and independence" and that its drivers received sighted guide training.

Trevor Muten, cabinet member for transport at Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC), said it was "committed to improve accessibility for all people in our city".

Walker said after being told by both drivers that his bus had just driven past, he called 101, the non-emergency police line, for support.

As Churchill Square is an "incredibly long bus stop", he said he tried to stand in "line of sight of the driver" and ask what bus it was once parked.

"The problem that does occur is that another bus will pull in behind the bus at the stop," he told the BBC.

"But by the time they've done that, I've found out that the bus is behind me and navigated down the bus stop, it's already loaded up, closed its doors and moved on."

Hannah Roe/BBC Daniel Walker is accompanied by his guide dog. The dog has thick wavy fur of a medium length and fluffy ears. Walker stands next to it holding a guide dog harness. They stand on the stone-tiled pavement at the Churchill Square bus stop in Brighton during the daytime.Hannah Roe/BBC
Brighton & Hove Buses says its drivers can provide assistance during and outside its customer service hours

Walker said the "sheer volume" of groups of young people gathering in the area at the time made him "feel so vulnerable and unsure of what was going on".

"I'm not criticising them - they're absolutely in their right to be there," he added.

"But if there's trouble, as a blind person I can't see where it's coming from or a safe way away from it. So that enhances any sort of anxieties."

Hill said Brighton & Hove Buses drivers could provide journey assistance at any time.

"In an emergency, we recommend contacting the appropriate emergency service immediately," he added.

'We want to listen'

Walker called for better support and advice at bus stops, such as on-site "manned information kiosks".

"Disabled people should have the same freedom as everyone else to enjoy Brighton and Hove and get home with confidence," he said on Facebook.

Muten said BHCC was investing in the city's bus stops by adding tactile paving and raised platforms, and improving pavements and lighting.

It is also working with operators on their timetables to avoid bus bunching, as well as introducing better on-board announcements and real-time audio departures information at each stop, he said.

"We know there are some challenges and we want to listen and work closely with those people who've got lived experiences," he added.

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Sussex on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.

More on this story
Related internet links