The final phase of the Accessible Information Regulations (AIR) comes into force today, 1 October, bringing older vehicles into scope and marking an important milestone for accessible bus travel.
The Regulations require local bus services to provide passengers with audible and visible information about the route, destination and upcoming stops. From today, the requirements extend to buses first used from 1 January 1973 onwards.
The information is important for anyone who has a sensory impairment, a learning disability, is anxious about travelling or is travelling on an unfamiliar route or network.
Lydia Horbury, Chief Executive of Bus Users UK:
Being told where you are and what’s coming next isn’t a nice-to-have. For many passengers, it can make the difference between being able to make a journey confidently and not making it at all.
The Regulations set the standard, but now we need to make sure the reality lives up to it. Announcements need to be heard, displays need to be visible and accurate, and passengers need to be able to trust the information they are given.
Accessibility isn’t achieved simply by fitting the equipment: it’s achieved when passengers can travel independently, confidently and with dignity.
The Regulations have been introduced in phases, with different deadlines according to when vehicles were first used. The final phase means the requirements now extend to the oldest buses covered by the legislation.
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