Audio announcements coming to Auckland buses to help low-vision travellers

Wednesday, 4 December 2019

Auckland Transport approved a plan to improve accessibility on public transport for disabled people with a range of initiatives.

Bus commuters will soon get audio announcements of upcoming stops in a new a plan to improve accessibility for blind and low vision users of public transport.

Auckland Transport approved a range of initiatives on Wednesday, which include textured paving at all bus stops and disability awareness training for bus drivers.

CCS Disability Action spokeswoman and wheelchair user, Vivian Naylor, said trains in Auckland were excellent but buses still required improvement.

“Often drivers won’t even know what to do when they see someone like me in a wheelchair. They’ll park in the wrong place or perhaps not realise the ramp is too steep,” she said.

Disability advocates in Wellington face similar issues with accessibility on public transport.

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“I have to clearly explain to them what to do even though I am visibly disabled, so for people who are blind it must be even more difficult.”

The plan does not outline how much the changes will cost but an audit of AT’s current spending on mobility-related initiatives and infrastructure will be carried out.

Disability advocates welcomed the news of the planned changes to make Auckland's bus network more accessible.

This will be used to assess whether there is enough investment in accessibility initiatives, by using Australia as a benchmark.

Blind Foundation spokesperson Chris Orr, who has a vision impairment, said Auckland had come a long way in terms of accessibility on public transport.

“Learning to travel as a blind person when I was young, I learnt by ear in Auckland. You used to have to climb up perpendicular steps to get into a bus or train,” he said.

“This action plan is only going to be the beginning of better dialogue and engagement, so that we who have a disability can move around this city like everyone else.”

Auckland Transport’s head of planning Andrew McGill said the plan would set goals for achieving accessibility so Auckland had a transport network “to work for everyone”.