About five years ago new low floor buses with ramps were introduced to the West Midlands and now they are used on almost every route.  On the buses in my area, the ramps are located at to the front of the bus adjacent to the driver’s cabin.  They are operated manually by the driver, so that he or she has to get out of their seat and pull the ramp out from the floor of the bus (it lies flat and hidden against the floor of the bus when not in use).

You then wheel up the ramp, proceed a few feet down the bus and plonk yourself in the dedicated wheelchair area which has a tall soft headrest for you to park against.  This stops your wheelchair from tipping backwards when the bus comes to a stop.  It is always best to tell the driver where you intend to get off so that they can park up correctly next to a kerb and jump out of their cabin to lower the ramp.

I use buses to get to the gym, clubs/bars/restaurants, shopping centres, railway stations, local theatres, bingo halls, the NEC in Birmingham and much more.  They are the crux of my social freedom!

London buses are a little different in design.  The wheelchair ramp is located in the middle of the vehicle.  I have always found this a little inconvenient as it means I cannot communicate to the driver.  However there is a button in the wheelchair area which you can press to ring a bell and alert the driver that you have reached your destination and need the ramp lowering so that you can alight the bus.  The second difference is that the ramps are operated electronically so instead of the driver having to get out of his cabin and pull out the ramp himself, he just presses a little button to engage the ramp.

I have taken London buses to theatres in Victoria, Kensington and the Westend, shopping in Oxford Street and meetings in the Pimlico.  To check out bus routes I always use the Journey Planner on the Transport for London website.

My new English National concessionary travel pass entitles me to free local bus travel anywhere in England after 9:30am until 11pm weekdays and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays.  The same concessions may apply to local rail, trams, Metro services and Ring and ride/dial a ride (check with local authorities for details).

Anyone who has a disability which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to walk is eligible.  However specific requirements differ depending on what your local authority demands.  I had to provide a copy of my DLA certificate when applying for mine.  Eligible residents should contact their local authority for more details and an application form.  Many authorities have information on their websites.