(25 Mar 2023, 2:01 am)Drifter60 wrote I’m happy to take on feedback regarding this if people have more compelling arguments on this but if I’m honest I don’t entirely understand your reasoning. Have the NSAs ever done it per every stop? Some stops wouldn’t have time to say “This is the Drifter 60 service to Parkside. The next stop is Byron Terrace” (even if you trimmed that down a bit) before you were actually at Byron Terrace, and surely it’s more important for say Derek or Mavis that they got off at Byron Terrace by hearing that announcement. The alternative is they miss the stop and have to get off at the next one, which could be worse from an equalities perspective. If they had got on a what they thought was a 60, but it’s actually a 61 then they’d already be left their initial stop anyway. Also the clue is in the title Next Stop Announcement - not ‘check I’m on the right bus’ announcement. Checking the later is easily done by going “is this the 60 to parkside” to the driver, they confirm it is, which takes about 10 seconds whilst said passenger is boarding and scanning a pass.
For years now, the announcement has been made when the doors of the bus are closed (ie from every stop after picking up passengers). The announcement isn’t made if the bus hasn’t stopped and opened/closed its doors.
Go North East moved to this approach following work with a steering group representing those with visual impairments, to help boost their confidence when travelling that they had boarded the correct bus (right service, right direction etc).
Some bus users don’t have the confidence to ask their driver questions. The announcement breaks down barriers, and presumably mustn’t be that intrusive, if you’ve not noticed it?
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