Blind bus passenger left stranded over pass rules

Kurtis Crossthorn says the rules around disability bus passes are too confusing

A man who is registered blind has criticised inconsistencies with disability bus passes after being left stranded at his local stop.

Kurtis Crossthorn lives in Sheffield where his pass can be used at any time – but his closest stop is actually across the border in Derbyshire, where passes are only valid between 09:30 and 23:00.

The 34-year-old, who normally uses Supertram to get into the city, tried to get on a bus on the Derbyshire side at 09:25 and was "shocked and confused" when the driver said he couldn't ride.

The Department for Transport (DfT), which funds the passes, said it was making "ambitious reforms to improve bus services" including giving billions of pounds to councils.

Mr Crossthorn, a Liberal Democrat councillor for the Beighton ward, said he boarded the bus in July and was told by the driver his pass was invalid.

"It was only afterwards when I was searching the internet that I realised in Derbyshire the bus pass doesn't kick in until 09:30 because in Sheffield I can use it around the clock.

"I got off the bus as I was confused and a bit shaken because it caught me off guard.

"It could cause a lot of stress for a disabled person."

Mr Crossthorn, who was picked up by wife, said: "I come to this bus stop because I know the route.

"People don't care about lines on a map, we don't know where the borders are.

"People with disabilities have no choice but to use public transport and their disabilities don't just kick in at 09:30."

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Liberal Democrat MP Tom Gordon has campaigned on the issue

Disability rights group Transport for All has launched a campaign on this issue.

It said cuts to local authority budgets meant councils were struggling to fund extra hours, such as Sheffield does.

The group said disabled people had lower household incomes and were more likely to live in poverty so free bus passes were vital.

Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrat MP Tom Gordon recently brought an amendment in Parliament to remove the 09:30 restriction but it was voted down by the government.

He said: "Kurtis's case exposes the absurd postcode lottery. Disabilities don't adhere to arbitrary boundaries nor do they suddenly begin at 09:30."

The DfT said the travel concession cost £700m a year and any changes would need to be carefully considered for their impact on the scheme's finance sustainability.

A spokesman added: "Local authorities have the power to extend the times when disabled passholders can use their concessionary bus passes locally, and more than three quarters of authorities across England offer free travel before 09:30.

"We're already in the process of making ambitious reforms to improve bus services for passengers, and we are turning the tide on decades of underfunding in councils to give people the public services they deserve, making over £69bn available this year alone for council finances."

Councillor Charlotte Hill, Derbyshire County Council's cabinet's member for potholes, highways and transport, said: "I do sympathise and can understand that it must be frustrating not to be able to use a disabled bus pass in the same way in Derbyshire as it is where he lives in Sheffield.

"Unfortunately, the new administration is unable to change this now because the responsibility for public transport is expected to transfer to the East Midlands Combined County Authority by next March."

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