Will be happy to.

I'll be happy to also I will do it tomorrow at work when I have time to word something legible..

Thanks very much

I do actually do a little to support The guide Dogs already, donating and sending used printer cartridges off, that kind of thing....they train them just outside where I work, I'm always oh so tempted to give them a cuddle but I know they are working and should really be left alone...they are soooo gorgeous and intelligent though

It'll be a pleasure LowonIQ

Signed

On my bus route - when they introduced the bendy bus the bus used to announce all the bus stops so it can work   I see no reason why it cant be added to include letting people know what bus has arrived for the visually impaired.


Although I don't know what good it will do sending it to my MP - he's too busy fiddling his expenses   £44,000 at last count!

He's lagging behind mine I think And of course, Bolton also has Ruth kelly as an MP....says it all really

Mine is Sion Simon who rented his second home from his sister but of course he didn't know he wasn't supposed to rent from a family member


I hope the campaign is successful

The busses in London 'talk' - when you get on they say the number and destination, and then announce each stop as they are approaching it... after every stop they say the number and destination again, they're really good They should definitely have these everywhere

Hopefully it will become a reality to have them everywhere sooner rather than later.

  True they are gorgeous and intelligent and  you are right, you can't stroke them when they are working.  It distracts them from the job and the blind person is then put at risk.

Thanks Pengy and Saz

Gladly Low.

Thank you Baz

You're welcome

Signed , great cause . Also sent link to friends who I know will only be to happy to sign

I tried to do it Low but it won't recognise me because I don't have a UK postcode.  Sorry.

Signed it Lowon 

Done it hun and glad to help. Hope the bill is introduced.

Done it Low.  Getting on and off buses and not knowing where you are must be terrifying. Hope this gets through and is applied to all Public Transport.

Thank you very much to Breatheout, Brisket, Pink, Real and Tayto

Done it Low

Thanks Marg

One Lowon A great idea and should be applied to all Public Transport, also helpful for people without disabilities in strange Towns etc....hope this useless Government take it seriously

Done it Low  my local MP is Julie Kirkbride,who with her husband,has been all over the news about the expenses
Maggie xx

Done it Low

Thanks DID,  Maggie, DAA,   
DID I agree it would help lots of other people too. I remember travelling to work on the bus early mornings being very tired. I often fell asleep, woke up with a start, panicking that I'd missed my stop. This system might have kept me awake, or at least told me where I was whilst I was disorientated.

Done it. Great campaign.

I'm hopeless on buses and train stations scare the life out of me....airports are the best!!!

Aint it a shame people just don't help each other and bus drivers talk to the passengers - announcing the upcoming stop etc . . .
Me mum sed it was like that wen they had people selling the ticket from a lil machine in the gang way

Renton, bus conductors were very useful and announced bus stops for people, those were the days

my parents were clippies on the 11c outer route in Birmingham - that's how they met and the rest as they say is history

But I agree Renton although I think a lot of today's passengers do try and help where they can

I did it Lowon  -  I used a friends address in England (with his permission)

All the trains, Dart and Luas have that over here - but not the busses and it is badly needed on the busses.

happy 2 help

No problem.

I had a response from my MP Sion Simon

He welcomes the campaign but as a Government minster he is unable to sign EDMs however, he will write to Sadiq Khan MP who is the  minister responsible to let him know of his support (yadda yadda) and to Birmingham City Council as I mentioned local buses and when he as responses from them he'll write to me again.

But at least I got a response  and with a few more Sadiq Khan MP should be a busy boy

Yep and not just for blind people. It can be scary for anyone in a strange city.




*Signed*

A worthy cause!

Had a reply back off Tony Cunningham this morning Low, he seemed to be acting on the emails...hopefully

had an acknowledgment from the campaign, but no reply from my MP. Didn't expect any different - he's a twunt.

Hey Lowon, i received a reply from David Crausby this Morning At least they're taking this seriously...

Lowon - had a reply back from my MP Siôn Simon who in turn has heard back from Department of Transport - Sadiq Khan MP.

The gist of it is:

The Government recognises the vital role that buses play in the transportation of disabled people, and is committed to delivering a more accessible fleet.  The Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations, (PSVAR) came into force on 31/12/00.  New buses after this are required to comply with the provisions of PSVAR - all by 2017 and coaches by 2020.  Audio announcements and visual displays are not considered to be included in this remit, so therefore the inclusion of such features on buses remains a desirable feature rather than a safety system.  We do recognise that many people find audio visual announcements useful for travelling and therefore we are currently investigating the costs and benefits and are considering ways of increasing the take up of these systems .

A project is scheduled across a section of stakeholders - Guide Dogs, Royal National Institute of Blind People and the Royal National Institute for Deaf People due to take place in Spring 2010.  

He also states that making this a regulation would place additional costs on both the bus operator and the local authority budgets and different conditions would relate to rail travellers as they don't have the opportunity to contact the driver as you do on a bus.

Then he goes on to state that bus drivers under the The Conduct of Drivers, Inspectors, Conductors and Passengers Regulations 2002 allow for reasonable assistance by drivers for disabled passengers including announcing a required stop!  I think that's the get out clause and they will use cost as the reason why this can't be done 

We need many more people to contact their MPs please and thank you

I shall ask mine to keep asking for these regulations to be considered especially at the Project Meeting in the Spring!