Save the 204 bus! - Government World Magazine

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Jeanetta Black for her letter in Thursday’s “Evening Telegraph” regarding the council’s axing of the 204 bus :

The campaign to save the 204 is far from being over and, like Jeanetta, I share the concern that the so-called Blether Bus “alternative” service the council is suggesting is simply not fit for purpose. The “service” utilises council mini-buses that many older folk and people with mobility difficulties will not be able to access.

I have now queried the legal position with Dundee City Council’s Head of Democratic and Legal Services. Local authorities had a responsibility in Part 5 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 that required all land-based transport vehicles to be accessible to disabled people including those who need to remain in wheelchairs. These responsibilities transferred to the 2010 Equality Act and there is now also a public sector equality duty in Scotland.

Meantime, the petition to save the 204 bus has gathered momentum with over 260 local residents signing it. It can be signed at www.tinyurl.com/savethe204.