(Image: Tom Dowling)
A disabled journalist said he felt "humiliated" during a fact-finding visit to York when a bus driver tried to prevent him boarding with a powered wheelchair attachment.
Tom Dowling, 72, said the incident happened on a First Bus Park & Ride service from York railway station to the Designer Outlet, when he tried to board with his wheelchair which had a front-wheel attachment.
First Bus has since apologised and pledged to retrain its drivers.
The bus driver reportedly told Mr Dowling that electric bikes were not permitted. When Mr Dowling explained that the device was a powered front wheel that clipped on to his wheelchair, he said the driver became angry in front of awaiting passengers and told him First Bus rules barred lithium batteries and the attachment was a safety hazard.
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After the pensioner pointed out that he’d had no problems on an earlier journey, the driver relented and allowed him to board, saying: "But this time only."
Mr Dowling said: "It was all hugely embarrassing and humiliating and spoiled what had otherwise been a great fact-finding trip.
"It was so disappointing to be confronted by such bad behaviour.
"We had spent a week based at the beautiful, wheelchair-friendly South Newlands Farm and were very impressed by the facilities across the York area. But individual’s actions also can undermine so much good work."
In a letter to Mr Dowling, Megan Hope-Rushforth, service delivery director at First Bus, apologised for the incident.
She said: "The service you received fell below the high standards we expect and strive to deliver for all our customers.
"You were correct in highlighting that a power device attached to a wheelchair – such as a front wheel that converts it into a trike – is permitted on board our vehicles, provided it has been detached from the wheelchair before boarding.
"We will be providing refresher training to our driving team as a matter of priority to ensure the correct policy is fully understood and consistently applied."
Councillor Kate Ravilious, executive member for transport for City of York Council, said: "We welcome First’s apology and commitment to driver training.
"Fully accessible public transport is non-negotiable for us and is a key priority to ensure that residents and visitors have positive experiences travelling in York.
"We’ve been investing to make the start and finish of journeys better too, with accessible bus stop kerbs, improved seating and waiting areas at bus stops, plus audio announcements and electronic display real-time bus service information."