Waiting for the bus and boarding

These stages cover when the user has arrived at the correct stop and continues until they have boarded the correct bus and are ready to travel.

Passengers need reassurance that they are in the right place and that the service is coming, as well as clarity on what to do if it is not (cancelled, diverted, or delayed). For users unfamiliar with the bus network, this is often the most anxiety-inducing stage. With 20% of non-frequent buses running behind schedule,³⁶ comfortable waiting conditions and real-time information are important.

The infrastructure and information features at the bus stop can help disabled passengers feel safe and reassured, making the driver aware that they are waiting, as well as ensuring they board safely.

“Buses are supposed to stop when they see a guide dog or blind person with a white cane. As we cannot flag them down… buses drive past without stopping and I miss my bus.” (Are We There Yet? 2023)

Key passenger questions may include

“Can my mobility device manoeuvre around the bus stop?”
“Is the bus stop safe?”
“Is my bus coming and when is it expected?”
“Where should I stand (wait) to be seen & board safely?”
“Will my bus stop?”
“Has my bus arrived and which one is it?”
“Can I board safely (step, ramp, walkways, crowding, appropriate seating/space)?”
“How do I pay/tap/scan and where do I go once onboard?”

Shelters

Accessibility challenge

Many stops lack shelters, exposing passengers to the weather elements and missing vital features. However, even when installed, shelters may lack seating and the positioning of shelters may mean there is insufficient space for wheelchair and mobility scooter users to manoeuvre. Just 15% of those with visual impairments and 18% of those with mobility impairments think it is easy to use bus shelters.³⁷

Methods for improvement

While it may not be feasible for all bus stops to include shelters (see categorisation section below), shelters are a practical way of integrating seating and information displays as well as protecting passengers from the weather. There should be space within and around the shelter for full manoeuvrability of a wheelchair and for the deployment of a ramp.³⁸

Shelters should be positioned facing the road, so that they do not impede the view of approaching buses, and ensure drivers can clearly view waiting passengers.

Seating

Accessibility challenge

The London Travel Survey shows that almost a quarter of respondents with impairments could only stand for between 1 to 5 minutes.³⁹ Therefore, lack of designated disabled seating has a significant impact on their capacity to use a bus stop. People with mobility impairments or fatigue conditions, as well as older adults may require benches with backrests and armrests, which are not provided as standard.

Methods for improvement

Seating should be available at all sheltered bus stops, and leave space for a wheelchair. Perch-style seating (common in many shelters across England and Wales) is compliant with DfT Inclusive Mobility Guidelines; nonetheless, preference should be given to flat bench-style seating with back and arm rests.

Areas for wheelchairs should be provided adjacent to seating, at the far bus stop end to ensure visibility for the driver. Existing space allocated for wheelchair users must also be updated to accommodate the size of new mobility devices.

Lighting and safety

Accessibility challenge

Safety can be a particular concern for disabled individuals. For example, Transport Focus’ survey found that 21% of those with learning or comprehension difficulties (three times higher than non-disabled respondents) saw other passengers’ behaviour as a concern at the bus stop.⁴⁰

Poorly lit stops can augment a sense of insecurity, deter early morning and evening travel, and reduce usability particularly in rural areas.

Poor lighting is a particular barrier for women and girls travelling alone, reducing their feeling of safety and security on public transport.⁴¹ Research has repeatedly shown that, for many, it is a primary deterrent against travelling by bus or using certain bus stops.⁴²

Methods for improvement

A well-lit environment during hours of darkness will enhance visibility and provide a sense of safety for passengers waiting at bus stops.⁴³

Lighting should be non-glare and designed to avoid creating dark shadows, which can cause feelings of insecurity.

Cost-effective and durable solutions include LED lighting and solar-powered lights that are automatically or manually triggered.

CCTV can help deter and track incidents, and therefore should be considered at high demand or vulnerable locations. This is especially necessary at interchanges and stops used frequently after dark (such as stops in industrial or commercial districts, or those outside hospitals which may be used by those on irregular shift patterns).

Creating an effective, integrated approach requires coordination between multiple stakeholders, including local authorities and law enforcement.

Kerbs and bus alignment

Accessibility challenge

Where the bus bay is of insufficient size, drivers may be unable to pull in close enough for disabled passengers to board easily. Bus boarding areas do not always provide easy access to the vehicle. Where kerbs are inconsistent or too low, wheelchair users and passengers with limited mobility often require driver assistance or cannot board independently.

Methods for improvement

A raised kerb of an appropriate height, depending on the bus stop boarding location and the vehicles used, should be provided for step-free boarding onto buses. A floor drop functionality and ramps on buses facilitate this.

The use of gullies in boarding and alighting zones should be avoided to prevent trip hazards or trapping wheelchairs.

Clear colour contrasts at kerb edges and shelters can support both visually impaired and neurodivergent passengers. Consistency in colour and design reduces confusion.

A bus stop clearway – a yellow line denoting where the bus should stop next to the bus stop – can be constructed to ensure buses are able to stop adjacent to the kerb to enable ease of boarding. This requires signage and enforcement to ensure other private vehicles do not park in the clearway.

Boarding area

Accessibility challenge

The location of bus stops on the roadside and composition of the bus stop area and facilities, relative to other highway and street infrastructure, can affect passenger access, and the bus driver’s capacity to enable a passenger to board safely.

Obstructions such as bollards, bins, and signposts adjacent to boarding points make manoeuvring more difficult, especially for wheelchair users and parents with prams.

Road bends, hills, gates, street furniture and vegetation can affect the line of sight between the passenger and driver, obscuring the view of an oncoming bus, preventing the timely ‘request to stop’ from a waiting passenger, and obstruct the driver’s view of passengers waiting at the stop. This will inhibit the driver’s ability to align with the kerb correctly, or cause the bus to miss the stop altogether. This can leave vulnerable passengers stranded, which erodes passenger trust, creates acute safety risks and frequently results in abandoned journeys.

Methods for improvement

Boarding areas should be free of clutter and obstructions. Tactile paving provides vital orientation cues for blind and visually impaired passengers, indicating safe waiting areas and boarding points.

Gradients must also be considered. The boarding/disembarking area should be flat to ensure that wheelchair users and those with visual impairments can safely move between the stop and the bus.

The bus driver requires a clear line of sight to bring the vehicle into alignment at the bus stop safely and have the capacity to deploy ramps as appropriate.

The layout and design of the bus stops should ensure good sight lines from all directions with minimum blind spots, so that passengers feel safe.

At-stop information provision

Accessibility challenge

A lack of, incomplete, out of date or inaccessible information and communication at the bus stop creates uncertainty for passengers. 37% of disabled people report the absence of real-time updates as a barrier, and 21% found that information was not communicated in an accessible format.⁴⁴

Even when information is provided in a range of mediums (printed displays and online) it can be illegible:

Visual information – Can use small text, inconsistent layout or placed at wrong/inconsistent heights meaning they may not work with assistive technologies such as Optical Character Recognition (OCR).
Audio output from digital displays – The activation of audio can be inaccessible, the announcement can be too quiet, muffled, or not adaptive to background noise.⁴⁵
Digital information and online – Accessibility varies widely across council and operator websites. Some contain clutter such as adverts or complex e-ticketing systems.
QR codes – Often inaccessible, requiring precise line-of-sight scanning, and rely on the availability of sufficient phone signal or data. The over usage of QR codes can impede ability to access information quickly.

Methods for improvement

All stops should include clear, accurate and coherent information which includes the stop name, route numbers and destinations, timetables, as well as where additional information and assistance can be sourced – via a phone number and/or web address.

If space permits, there should also be maps of routes and interchanges between routes and other modes. The format of this information should be standardised to ensure predictability and certainty.

Both printed timetables and arrival information boards should be displayed at a height which is legible for a wheelchair user.

Digital RTPI displays should be audio-visual, with both manual and automatic options for audio activation. This includes via a passenger’s phone or personal key fob and via a high colour contrast communal pushbutton placed in a consistent and physically accessible position. Audio volume should be automatically adjusted based upon ambient noise levels and be synchronised with visual outputs, providing clear and consistent information (stop name, route numbers and destinations, expected arrival times and disruption information).

Updates should include information on diversions and cancellations, as well as crowding levels where possible.

Information provided in digital formats should be in line with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

At-stop information provision should be complemented and enhanced with online information. This can be accessed by scanning QR codes, and/or signposted by proximity technology. The online content should allow for user personalisation and support the native accessibility feature of the user’s device (usually a mobile phone) such as light/dark mode, text adjustment, contrast and screen readers.

Toilet facilities

Accessibility challenge

Toilets are usually present at major bus stations only. However, ease of access to such facilities is critical for many disabled and older bus users as well as those with young children. Accessible toilets may not fully provide for everyone’s access needed. Over three quarters (78%) of disabled people are not confident about visiting new places, and 73% have come across an accessible toilet that they have been unable to use.⁴⁶

Methods for improvement

All major bus stations and interchanges should include standard and disabled access toilets, with specifications following national guidance. This includes ensuring toilets, sinks and handles are placed at an accessible height, including adequate space for manoeuvring a wheelchair (or other mobility device). Changing Places toilets could also be provided at major termini.

Where possible, other bus stops with high usage should be located near to public toilets and include information on where to find the nearest public toilet.