Metrobus passenger calls route accessibility into question
St. John's bus service acknowledges that a mistake was made
A Metrobus passenger says he witnessed a bus driver refuse a stop for a rider using a wheelchair over the weekend.
Nathan Dixon was heading from the Avalon Mall towards Elizabeth Avenue on Route 2 when a passenger using a wheelchair attempted to get off at a marked stop near the Salvation Army Thrift Store on Kenmount Road.
<a href="https://twitter.com/MetrobusTransit">@MetrobusTransit</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCNL">@CBCNL</a> it was #2, about 3:35 on Sunday & the stop was Wendy's on Kenmount road. The driver said dispatch wouldn't allow it.
—@Nathan_Dixon"When they tried to get off the bus, the bus driver said that they couldn't put down the wheelchair ramp because it wasn't a wheelchair-specific stop," said Dixon.
According to Dixon, the refusal didn't make sense, as the next accessible stop is in front of the Guv'nor Inn and Pub on Elizabeth Avenue.
That's about 1.3 kilometres away. Dixon says that getting off at Elizabeth Avenue would have required the passenger to double back and travel down the busy Freshwater and Kenmount roads.
He believes that the passenger instead continued on home.
Accessible routes added in June
Since June, Metrobus routes 1, 2, and 3 have been wheelchair accessible.
Each bus on these routes features a detachable ramp and flexible seats for wheelchair-equipped riders.
According to Metrobus, the stop near the Salvation Army Thrift Store is "not considered accessible under Metrobus standards."
But the stop can still be used at a rider's own discretion and risk. In this case, officials said Metrobus ought to have made the stop.
"We regret making the mistake and the inconvenience it caused for our customer," Metrobus said in a statement to CBC News.
"We will review the circumstances of this incident with our employees and work to ensure that a similar situation does not occur in the future."