Bus Users UK has welcomed new research from Consumer Scotland, which clearly sets out the transport barriers faced by disabled people living in rural Scotland.
Buses remain a vital lifeline for rural communities, yet when services are infrequent or inaccessible, disabled people are disproportionately affected. Transport failures do not exist in isolation; they directly impact health, wellbeing and equality.
According to Lydia Horbury, Chief Executive of Bus Users UK, the report reflects what disabled passengers have been saying for years: that unreliable, inaccessible and costly transport too often limits independence, access to essential services and participation in everyday life.
“Accessible, reliable transport is not a luxury, it is essential, and disabled people should not have to overcome extraordinary barriers just to make ordinary journeys. Consumer Scotland’s findings echo the lived experiences we hear every day from rural bus users, and they must now lead to practical, joined-up action.
“Transport should connect people, not isolate them – rural Scotland’s disabled communities deserve nothing less.”
Bus Users UK supports Consumer Scotland’s call for urgent action, including stronger accountability for accessibility standards, better integration between transport and public services, and meaningful involvement of disabled people in shaping solutions.
Read the report in full:
Urgent action needed to improve transport for disabled people in rural Scotland