Belfast student awarded £7,500 after Translink settles wheelchair access discrimination claim

A Belfast student has been awarded £7,500 after public transport operator Translink settled a discrimination claim brought over repeated failures to deploy a ramp that allowed her to disembark.

Rosie Pidgeon, who uses an electric wheelchair and needs to press a specific button to alert drivers to lower the ramp at her stop, said she was carried past her stop on a number of occasions over a two-year period. The incidents, which she says sometimes happened twice a day, left her late for college classes and worried about using the service. The case was settled without admission of liability and Translink issued an apology "for any hurt and distress caused."

Pidgeon told the BBC she was "quite shocked" the first time a driver failed to stop at her request and that, because of her disability, "it takes a long time for me to recover from each incident." She said initial apologies from Translink did not stop the problem and that she sometimes had to ask other passengers to knock on the door to get the driver's attention. "Nobody wants to be in that situation where you have to ask a stranger," she said. "Being carried past my stop is distressing and exhausting. I value my independence and just want to be able to travel to and from college without any worry or stress."

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, which has been liaising with Translink, said the outcome was important not only for Pidgeon but for all disabled users of the service. Eoin O'Neill, director of legal services at the commission, said transport providers in Northern Ireland have duties under the Disability Discrimination Act to make "reasonable adjustments" to remove barriers to disabled people. "Many people with disabilities rely on public transport to go about their daily lives," he said. "They must be able to board at the stop of their choosing and disembark where they need to."

Ian Campbell, Translink's director of service operations, said the company was committed to making services "inclusive" and had introduced changes to "improve the consistency of service" along with additional refresher training for staff. "We will continue to invest in our facilities, services, and staff training as part of our ongoing accessibility programme," he said.

The incidents related to the Glider service, which was introduced in 2018 to connect the east and west of Belfast and is used by people travelling to work, college and other daily activities. Translink said it appreciated the opportunity to work with the Equality Commission and would continue to consult stakeholders to better understand the needs of people with disabilities and ensure a positive customer experience.

Legal representatives and the commission said the settlement and the engagement between Translink and the Equality Commission have implications for how transport operators meet their statutory obligations to disabled passengers. The Equality Commission said it welcomes steps taken by Translink to prevent similar occurrences and expects drivers to be fully trained to ensure the ramp is deployed when required.

Pidgeon said she felt she had no choice but to pursue the case and hopes the settlement will help ensure that other wheelchair users can use the Glider with confidence. Translink's apology and the measures it described aim to address the operational issues raised, while the Equality Commission will continue to monitor and engage with transport providers about accessibility obligations under the law.