A bus in Bath drove off with a man stuck in the door on Sunday 27th October, after allegedly refusing to let a different man board the bus with his wheelchair.
The man’s arm got stuck in the bus door | Photo © David Redgewell
Police are investigating after the man’s arm was trapped in the door of the vehicle as it began to leave Bath Bus Station at about 5.45pm. No arrests have been made.
David Redgewell, who uses a wheelchair, said that the driver had refused to let him board the coach, despite it having facilities for a wheelchair.
He said passengers had been insisting to the driver that they should not leave a disabled person behind when the driver drove off with one of their arms stuck in the door.
Mr Redgewell is a prominent campaigner for public transport in the area.
He said: “I have travelled thousands of miles on rail replacement buses across Great Britain and Ireland and I’ve never seen this before.”
“The whole incident was shocking.”
The Pewsey Vale coach was acting as a rail replacement bus service running from Bath to Westbury. The coach company said they could not comment while the incident was under investigation.
A spokesperson for Great Western Railway said: “The safety and welfare of our customers and colleagues are our highest priority, and the treatment described is clearly unacceptable.
“We’ve asked the coach company to investigate the allegations as quickly as possible so they can take the appropriate action.”
Mr Redgewell said he had no complaints with how Great Western Railway or its parent company FirstGroup had dealt with the incident.
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: “Police are investigating an incident at Bath Bus Station, Dorchester Street, which was reported just after 5.45pm on Sunday 27 October.
“Officers attended after a report that a rail replacement bus had started to leave the depot with someone’s arm caught in the door.
“Enquiries are at an early stage and anyone who saw what happened but has yet to arrange to make a statement is asked to call 101 and give the reference 5224283508.”
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter
