Agenda item

Talking Buses

It was moved by Councillor Cliff Woodcraft, seconded by Councillor Ian Auckland, that this Council:-

(a)       welcomes the campaign by the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association to install equipment to provide audio announcements of bus stops on buses; so called “Talking Buses”;

(b)       notes that in surveys, drivers too often forget to inform blind bus users when they reach their destination, and that this has sometimes had serious repercussions for the passenger;

(c)        notes that some parts of the country already have talking buses, notably London, of which 100% are talking, but also Nottinghamshire, Reading, Coventry, Birmingham and others;

(d)       welcomes the competition launched by Liberal Democrat Transport Minister, Baroness Kramer, to invite students to devise more cost effective ways of providing such equipment;

(e)       agrees that this facility will not only benefit the blind, but improve the travelling experience for all bus users, and that this will encourage use of buses over cars, with associated environmental impact; and

(f)        therefore calls on the Chief Executive to write to South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, First Bus Company and Stagecoach encouraging them to implement talking buses as soon as practicable.

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Leigh Bramall, seconded by Councillor Chris Rosling-Josephs, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of paragraph (d) and the addition of a new paragraph (d) as follows:-

(d)       welcomes that the campaign run by The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association to equip all new buses with audio visual announcements has been supported cross party and welcomes any attempts by students or other groups to improve the equipment needed to facilitate this development.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

RESOLVED:  That this Council:-

(a)       welcomes the campaign by the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association to install equipment to provide audio announcements of bus stops on buses; so called “Talking Buses”;

(b)       notes that in surveys, drivers too often forget to inform blind bus users when they reach their destination, and that this has sometimes had serious repercussions for the passenger;

(c)        notes that some parts of the country already have talking buses, notably London, of which 100% are talking, but also Nottinghamshire, Reading, Coventry, Birmingham and others;

(d)       welcomes that the campaign run by The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association to equip all new buses with audio visual announcements has been supported cross party and welcomes any attempts by students or other groups to improve the equipment needed to facilitate this development;

(e)       agrees that this facility will not only benefit the blind, but improve the travelling experience for all bus users, and that this will encourage use of buses over cars, with associated environmental impact; and

(f)        therefore calls on the Chief Executive to write to South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, First Bus Company and Stagecoach encouraging them to implement talking buses as soon as practicable.