Inverness wheelchair user's bus fury

A review is under way after an Inverness wheelchair user found himself stranded in Fort Augustus because of problems with the equipment on the buses.

David Sansum, of Charleston View, Kinmylies, is trying to build up his confidence in travelling using public transport.

Instead, a day out using the Citylink service turned into a nightmare as he eventually arrived home four hours later than expected – and only after Shopmobility and a friend came to his rescue. "In this day and age, people like myself should be able to travel about the country like anyone else," said the 37-year-old who was born with spina bifida. "It really is quite shocking when the equipment is not up to standard."

Mr Sansum, who travelled from Inverness with two able-bodied companions, encountered his first harrowing experience on arrival at Fort Augustus when the lift would not operate properly, leaving him suspended halfway up.

"I am terrified of heights and so I felt panicky about it all being left for what seemed a considerable time," he said.

Eventually, a hoist was used and the electric wheelchair and Mr Sansum were manhandled to the ground.

The return journey turned out to be even more problematic when the bus turned up more than an hour late and its lift would not operate at all, so he was advised to catch the next one which would be along about 20 minutes later.

Although its lift worked, the removal base of the bus seat – which would allow his wheelchair to be accommodated – was stuck solid.

After consulting his controller, the bus driver told Mr Sansum to get a taxi and claim back the cost from Citylink.

However, one of his companions, Bill Anderson, explained they would be unable to source a taxi capable of taking the wheelchair.

His other companion, meanwhile, called her employer, Shopmobility, which agreed one of its vehicles and her husband could be used to go to his rescue.

Mr Anderson has now written on behalf of his friend to various politicians, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, as well as Scottish Citylink and the bus company Stagecoach.

He is demanding urgent action to ensure the equipment of the buses is serviced regularly and that drivers are trained in what to do in such circumstances.

"I would like to think that these serious issues warrant a full investigation to help prevent this from happening again to others in Scotland.

After being contacted by The Inverness Courier, Scottish Citylink and Stagecoach apologised for what had happened.

"We welcome customers with a disability on to our services and many passengers with wheelchairs travel with us without any problems every week," said a Citylink spokeswoman. "Clearly on this occasion, something appears to have gone wrong."

A Stagecoach spokeswoman said the wheelchair ramps were serviced regularly and checked daily. "We will review what happened on this occasion and learn what can be done better in the future," she said.

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