Xplore Dundee has agreed to give bus drivers more hands-on training after a probe into disabled access.
Deputy traffic commissioner Kenneth Young questioned representatives from McGill’s, which runs the service, during a hearing on Tuesday.
A public inquiry was scheduled after wheelchair user Paula Cahill, from Dundee, twice faced issues on Xplore Dundee’s Fly bus to and from Edinburgh Airport.
The 46-year-old volunteer uses an electric wheelchair due to her muscular dystrophy.
She alleges that in June 2024, she was left “covered in glass” after the vehicle’s door window shattered while a driver struggled to operate the wheelchair lift at the airport.
In a previous incident in August 2023, she says it appeared another driver also did not know how to work the lift on the Fly service.
Xplore Dundee to offer more training for drivers after wheelchair user’s complaints
McGill’s CEO Tony Williamson, service delivery director Colin Napier, and HR and training director Neil Dryden attended the Edinburgh hearing.
The inquiry’s purpose was not to assess Paula’s claims directly.
It was to decide whether Xplore Dundee was operating in compliance with public service vehicles accessibility regulations.
Mr Napier admitted in evidence that the six months taken to respond to the complaint in June was “unacceptable”.
He said a dedicated customer service team, operating seven days a week, has since been set up.
The delays in escalating Paula’s complaint meant CCTV evidence of what happened had been lost.
Wheelchair-using passenger claims she was left covered in broken glass
This meant Paula’s claims of being covered in glass, which Xplore Dundee disputes due to the way the safety glass was broken, could not be reviewed
Mr Napier said: “I personally reached out to Ms Cahill to apologise and take her up on her offer to assist with driver training. I am meeting with her on Monday.
“One of the first things I will be doing is apologising.”
McGill’s says it is looking to work with people with disabilities, including Paula, to help better equip its drivers.
The operator already works with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to provide training.
The inquiry heard that of thousands of passengers carried on the Fly service this year, just six were wheelchair users.
Commissioner suggests lack of practice using ramps has hindered confidence
Mr Young suggested these low numbers may have resulted in drivers lacking confidence to operate the disability ramps on the coaches, which are different from Xplore’s standard public service buses.
Mr Dryden described operating the lifts as a “consuming and cumbersome process”.
He said a delay between pressing the button to start the lift and it beginning to move may also have caused problems in Paula’s experience.
He explained drivers could become concerned the lift was not working, and stop pressing the button, thinking they were doing something wrong.
Mr Dryden said McGill’s is planning six-monthly training with practical and classroom-based sessions.
He added: “I cannot understand what it is like to be in a vulnerable situation (using a wheelchair lift)
Xplore Dundee promises more hands-on driver training at public inquiry
“My hope is that we will do exactly what we have outlined and give drivers experience of how people (with disabilities) feel.”
Mr Young accepted McGill’s offer of an undertaking to give drivers six-monthly hands-on training using the wheelchair lifting and securing equipment on vehicles.
He decided no further action was required under his jurisdiction as deputy traffic commissioner.
He explained this agreement would be added to the provider’s licence.
McGill’s could face penalties if it does not meet the outlined terms.
In his judgment, Mr Young said: “As a matter of basic fairness, passengers who use wheelchairs must be able to board the service properly.
“That is absolutely what this jurisdiction expects. But I accept that my role is not to adjudicate the complaint and I am not given that authority by the statute.
“My role is to assess is this operator a compliant one.”
Hearing hopes to prevent repeat of incident
He added: “The single most important thing that can come from a hearing such as this is the confidence that an incident like the one on June 6 will not be repeated.
“I asked the chief executive officer whether an incident like the one on June 6 could be repeated and he told me essentially no.
“I then required to ask myself, based on the information before me whether that was correct and then to identify the evidence before me that gives me confidence that passengers who use a wheelchair will travel in safety and with full dignity.
“What is really needed, in my opinion, is practical training for the drivers.
“They do not use the lifts on the coaches frequently, so they need to be trained regularly.
“The aim must be that when a passenger requires to use the lift, the driver is able to demonstrate expertise and confidence so the passenger feels safe and respected.
“That is not too much to ask.”
Dundee wheelchair user to help train Xplore Dundee drivers after complaints
In response to the outcome, Paula told The Courier: “I’m pleased that Xplore will have to do additional training.
“All I asked for initially was that drivers were given more training on the use of access lifts, which wasn’t an unreasonable request.
“I have agreed to help give drivers training on the use of access lifts so drivers are more familiar with the access lifts and to prevent any future incidents.
“The driver training will focus on the safe use of the access lift and transporting a wheelchair user safely.
“Each driver will have to demonstrate with my advice how best to use the access lift and other equipment safely.”
Xplore Dundee response
An Xplore Dundee spokesperson said: “We welcome the traffic commissioner’s decision not to take any action against Xplore Dundee in relation to the complaints raised.
“While we had hoped to resolve the matter directly with the passenger without the need for a hearing, we are pleased it has been resolved.
“We already deliver comprehensive driver training in line with industry standards and also in partnership with organisations such as the RNIB.
“Xplore Dundee is a Disability Confident Employer, accredited by the Department for Work and Pensions, and we are proud to have recently achieved Silver status under the Armed Forces Covenant.
“These recognitions reflect our wider commitment to inclusion across all areas of our business.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to accessibility, we have committed to refresher training every six months to ensure our drivers are fully confident in operating disabled access equipment on board.”
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