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Home > The issues > Public transport > Buses and coaches – old

Buses and coaches

Find out more about the barriers disabled people face to using buses and coaches.

A Black man with upper and lower limb differences sits at a bus stop in his electric wheelchair. He has short brown hair and a beard, and is wearing a blue t-shirt and bag.

Policy background

Government statistics show that disabled people make a greater proportion of our trips by bus than non-disabled people (5% compared with 3%), demonstrating the crucial role the bus plays as the often only accessible form of public transport available (Department for Transport).

  • Roughly 1 in 10 local bus services were axed in 2022, equivalent to more than 1000 registered routes. (Guardian) This is likely to disproportionately impact disabled people, especially those in rural areas with fewer alternative transport options.
  • Only 30% of buses in England outside of London provide audio-visual information to passengers. (Department for Transport)
  • The percentage of bus complaints that relate to accessibility increased between 2016/17 and 2021/2022 (Department for Transport)
A man standing in front of a painted brick wall smiling at the camera. He is holding a cane and is wearing glasses, a black jacket and a grey t-shirt. A man standing in front of a painted brick wall smiling at the camera. He is holding a cane and is wearing glasses, a black jacket and a grey t-shirt.

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