A bus driver told a man in a wheelchair he couldn’t board the Red Arrow from Nottingham, shouting: “You can’t bring that on here.”
The man was told loudly in front of other passengers he couldn’t get on because wheelchair ramps on the new fleet of vehicles do not work with Victoria Bus Station bays.
Mark Forde – who was with a group from learning disability charity Inspire Nottingham – was forced to go to Upper Parliament Street and wait 10 minutes while the next driver installed the ramp.
Mr Forde, of Penn Avenue, Lenton, said the way the bus driver treated him made him feel ashamed.
He added: “When she said it, everyone looked at me. It made me feel really small.
“It makes me feel like less of a person when things like this happen. It reminds you. I forget that I’m in a chair, but when she said that – she shouted it loudly – it makes it like you’re not worth anything.”
Once Mr Forde had finally managed to get on the ramp, he found the experience embarrassing.
The 34-year-old added: “It’s like you’re in a fishbowl. Everyone’s facing forward and I’m facing towards them.”
Inspire Nottingham chief executive Lee Peacock described the event as shameful and complained to bus company Trent Barton via Twitter.
She added: “The interesting thing is when you get on the bus there’s a message that welcomes you on and talks about speedy service!”
A spokesman for Trent Barton said it was investigating Mr Forde’s claim regarding the driver’s conduct.
Marketing officer Jordan Kemp added: “Our hands are tied. We don’t have a say in how the bus station is run. These are concerns that we do raise, but ultimately it’s down to the council and Intu to make any improvements.”
