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A disabled passenger has said that Transport for Wales’ rail replacement buses leave him “disadvantaged” after struggling to board several services.

Jonathan Errington, 37, sustained a back injury seven years ago. He has been using a mobility scooter for long distances for around seven months now. 

Mr Errington told Caerphilly Observer that the replacement vehicles provided by Transport for Wales (TfW) make travelling more difficult or are so unsuitable that he cannot use them at all – meaning that he must find alternative transport. 

Mr Errington, who used to live in Bargoed and recently moved to Tir y Berth, stated that the last few months had been an eye-opening experience and said: “I found out how horrible it is to travel disabled.”

He added that though his intention was to get out more, the difficulty of travelling on public transport with his scooter had instead left him feeling “trapped”. 

Mr Errington explained the process for using trains was not without problems – he was once left stranded on a train in Cardiff despite pre-booking assistance – but if assistance booking is confirmed and processed properly then he is able to board as long as his scooter fits. 

‘They should have alternative transport ready’

Rail replacement buses in Mr Errington’s experience are either coaches or what he refers to as “local buses” – a small single-decker model.

When coaches are provided, passengers who use a scooter can’t take it directly on board but it can be put in the hold – so long as it disassembles. 

Yet, due to health and safety concerns, Mr Errington has to put it on the bus himself – though other people who use mobility scooters may not be able to. 

Mr Errington spoke about the difficult task and said: “No one will help you lift the scooter.”

He continued: “They should have coaches with ramps.”

Worse still is when rail services are replaced with single-decker buses, which have a sharp angle at the entrance, meaning that scooters like Mr Errington’s, that fit on trains, cannot board at all. 

In this situation, Mr Errington must find alternative transport, such as organising a personal lift or paying out of pocket for a taxi, which he must claim back at a later date. 

Passengers with disabilities, like Mr Errington, who need assistance on trains must do so before travelling. This can be done up to two hours before travelling but if there are rail replacement buses this information is sometimes not passed on. 

“If they’ve got a rail replacement service and pre-booked accessibility customer,” said Mr Errington, “they should have alternative transport ready.”

Mr Errington added: “I shouldn’t be disadvantaged…because it’s better for everyone else.” 

Mr Errington often travels on a Sunday as he has to pick up his son – a day when, according to Mr Errington, “nine and a half” times out of ten trains are replaced by buses.

In addition to this, rail replacement services are running at certain times for the whole of 2023 between Cardiff and Rhymney as the South Wales metro is built.

‘I start having panic attacks’

Mr Errington added that it’s not just people with physical disabilities who are affected, but those with unseen disabilities or those who struggle with their mental health too. 

Adding that in general, he feels disabled people are overlooked in a “massive” way. 

Mr Errington said his mental health is impacted by these disruptions. He said: “I’m okay if my journey is planned,” but added if there are changes, “I start having panic attacks.”

He said it seemed as if “no one is bothered” when cancellations occur, despite them affecting not only people’s plans but also their wellbeing.  

Marie Daly, chief customer and culture officer at TfW, said: “It is disappointing to hear the poor experience this customer had when using our services and we apologise for the unnecessary distress this has caused.

“We work closely with bus operators to ensure we have an accessible vehicle available when operating replacement buses. Where we have staff deployed, we will always do what we can to support customers with their journey and all bus co-ordinators have received mandatory accessibility and inclusion training as a part of their recruitment process.

“For planned rail replacement services we provide accessible vehicles more than 95% of the time and where accessible buses are not available, we will provide accessible taxis for customers.

“We’re investing hundreds of millions of pounds into brand new trains and station improvements, which will significantly improve accessibility across the Wales and Borders network. This work is guided by our Accessibility and Inclusion Panel to ensure we are meeting the needs of passengers who require assistance.”

Visit TfW’s website for more information about travelling with a mobility scooter.