Latest news with #StagecoachEastScotland
The Courier
3 days ago
- General
- The Courier
Dundee bus station toilets closed indefinitely due to 'repeated and severe vandalism'
The toilets at Dundee bus station have been closed indefinitely due to 'repeated and severe vandalism'. Stagecoach East Scotland, which runs the station, says 'several approaches' to reducing anti-social behaviour in the facilities have not worked. As a result, passengers can no longer use the Seagate toilets, except for disabled visitors. It has not been confirmed if the toilets will reopen. Bus user Stuart Walker, 62, from Inverkeilor in Angus, contacted The Courier to express his disappointment at the move. He said: 'It's a legal requirement for motorway service stations to provide toilets 24/7, so why isn't it for bus stations? 'With the exception of Radar key holders (for disabled toilets) there are no alternatives nearby. 'No reference has been made to other options inside the bus station.' A sign in the station says the toilets are shut due to 'repeated and severe vandalism'. It adds: 'Despite our efforts, including restricted opening hours and installing a barrier system, we have been unable to prevent the damage. 'However, the disabled toilet remains open on the main road (Seagate) for Radar key holders.' Stuart added: 'There is a toilet in the cafe across the road, which you can use if you buy a coffee. 'Your only other options are at the shopping centre or in the city centre. 'Most Stagecoach vehicles don't have toilets. 'Even the (larger) X7 vehicles sometimes don't have a toilet. 'This is an important inter-city coach station, and the lack of facilities cannot help Dundee's image to visitors.' A Stagecoach East Scotland spokesperson said: 'Unfortunately, the toilets at Dundee bus station have had to be closed due to ongoing and serious vandalism. 'Over time, we've tried several approaches like reducing opening hours and installing barriers. 'Unfortunately, these measures haven't been enough to prevent repeated damage. 'It's reached a point where it's no longer safe or practical to keep the facilities open. 'The accessible toilet remains available for Radar key holders. 'While there are still occasional issues, the level of misuse is much lower and currently manageable. 'We understand how important public toilets are and we're continuing to look at long-term solutions that balance accessibility with safety.'
The Courier
25-04-2025
- General
- The Courier
Stagecoach probes 'abuse' aimed at Fife wheelchair user on bus
A Fife bus user has raised concerns about the accessibility of Stagecoach's buses after her 'horrible' experience on one. Wheelchair user Rowena Arrandale was on the 39 service to Kirkcaldy on April 15 when she claims she was 'verbally abused' by a fellow passenger. The 42-year-old social care worker says they targeted her after two buggies had to be folded to allow space for her wheelchair. In a Facebook post, Kirkcaldy resident Rowena described the operator's new minibuses as 'ill-equipped'. Stagecoach introduced six new zero-emission minibuses to its fleet at the Glenrothes bus depot in November last year. Rowena told The Courier: 'There were passengers just talking amongst themselves about why they should have to fold up their buggies. 'A passenger basically said 'why is that allowed on the bus?' And they just kept going. 'I felt really unsafe because they were riling up other passengers around them and it's not fair. 'One lady was particularly mouthy and I could hear what was being said between passengers, even though they weren't shouting. 'It's horrible because I had to face the other passengers as a wheelchair user. 'Everybody else put their heads down and stayed silent. 'Some passengers even laughed at me.' Rowena is a regular user of the buses, but posted she was playing 'wheelchair roulette' when boarding services. On this occasion, she had joined the 39 service around halfway between Glenrothes and Thornton. Rowena added: 'I had a word with the bus driver at the end and he was apologetic and polite. 'I just want him to understand I needed help because I felt like the responsibility was put back on me. 'I want change out of this. 'The old design of buses had their flaws, but there was always space. 'Stagecoach has to provide buses suitable for the needs of people today.' Rowena complained to Stagecoach East Scotland. The operator says vehicles based at its Glenrothes depot are compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act. The company also discussed the incident with Rowena. A Stagecoach East Scotland spokesperson said: 'We were concerned to hear of this incident and immediately launched an investigation. 'We are committed to ensuring bus travel is accessible to everyone and can confirm that all of our vehicles are wheelchair accessible. 'Our conditions of carriage state that wheelchair spaces can be used by customers if not in use, and that walkways must be clear in order to meet safety standards. 'Our drivers will instruct any non-wheelchair users in the wheelchair space to move elsewhere when a wheelchair user requires the space. 'Our drivers receive extensive customer service training, which specifically focuses on disability awareness. 'We take all feedback very seriously and continue to use this to improve our services.'
