Nottingham man frustrated by train firm's mobility scooter rules

Oreste De Santis has used a mobility scooter after suffering a cardiac arrest five years ago

A disabled father says he feels like his freedom has been taken away after being told his mobility scooter cannot be used on East Midlands Railway (EMR) trains.

Oreste De Santis previously travelled on the network with his wife Kathy to visit their daughter in Brighton.

But the couple, from Nottingham, say the operator will no longer allow him to travel with his scooter on board.

EMR apologised but said it "must prioritise the safety of customers".

The former nurse, who suffered a cardiac arrest five years ago, said he and his wife submitted three applications for a scooter travel permit.

However all of these were rejected as the four-wheel vehicle, which Mr DeSantis needs to get around, does not meet the requirements of EMR's mobility scooter policy.

Mrs De Santis said they had looked at getting a new scooter but had struggled to find one suitable

He told the BBC: "I'm very disappointed because it's taken my freedom away and the opportunity to go out and see things which I'd like to see.

"I find it incredibly frustrating that I can go on a bus, go on the tram but I can't go on a train.

"I think the policy at this moment in time is wrong and they should make one which is much more suitable for people with a disability."

The couple said the first time they travelled to Brighton there had been no issue and they were happy with EMR's service.

But on their next trip they said they were told they needed to apply for a mobility scooter pass, which was subsequently rejected because the scooter failed to meet its requirements.

'Upsetting'

EMR's current policy only allows for mobility scooters that are three-wheeled or are triangular shape, are smaller than 70cm (27in) by 120cm (47in) and weigh less than 300kg (47st) with the user.

The operator accepted it "would need to update the scooter permit criteria" and that "changes are set to be implemented soon".

Mrs De Santis said: "It's upsetting for us because we can't go and see our daughter in Brighton. I can get from London to Brighton quite easily but not from Nottingham to London.

"We're having so much difficulty finding a scooter that meets the criteria - we do want to travel but we're struggling to find one.

"TransPennine [Express] have a different policy to East Midlands [Railway], so we'd be able to travel on some trains but not others. I want it to be made consistent across the board."

In a statement, EMR said: "We would like to apologise for the impact this issue is having on Mr and Mrs De Santis.

"However, when considering the allowable size of scooters on our trains, we must prioritise the safety of our customers, train managers and station teams.

"Nonetheless, we acknowledge the need to update the scooter permit criteria, and these changes are set to be implemented soon to better encompass the wider array of scooter types used by our customers."