Audio systems to announce approaching stops will be installed on buses in a move welcomed today by disability groups and charities. The Department for Transport announced local bus services in Britain will provide audible announcements and visual displays to improve accessibility.
Under the new rules, announced on Thursday, the route and direction of a service, each upcoming stop and any diversions will all be identified, the DfT said. The aids will be introduced as part of vehicle upgrades, with £4.65 million funding being made available to the nation's smallest bus and coach companies.
In Greater Manchester under the Bee Network revolution, the first publicly controlled buses will be rolled out in Bolton, Wigan and parts of Bury and Salford from September, with the whole network to be franchised by 2025. It means that fares, routes and standards will be controlled by local leaders rather than bus companies who will have to bid for contracts to run services.
