PCV Disability Awareness 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Equality Act 2010, what duty does a PCV driver have towards disabled passengers?
- To carry them free of charge
- To make reasonable adjustments to ensure they can use the service (Correct answer)
- To provide a personal escort to their seat
- To refuse carriage if they cannot board independently
Correct answer: To make reasonable adjustments to ensure they can use the service
The Equality Act 2010 requires service providers, including PCV operators and drivers, to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people are not placed at a substantial disadvantage. This includes deploying ramps, allowing extra boarding time, and providing assistance where possible.
Question 2: A visually impaired passenger asks you which bus has arrived at the stop. What should you do?
- Point to the destination board and let them read it
- Clearly announce your route number and destination verbally (Correct answer)
- Ask another passenger to help them
- Tell them to wait for a bus with audio announcements
Correct answer: Clearly announce your route number and destination verbally
You should clearly and verbally announce the route number and destination. Visually impaired passengers cannot read destination boards, so verbal communication is essential. Many operators now require drivers to announce stops, but proactive communication is always good practice.
Question 3: What does PSVAR stand for in relation to PCV accessibility?
- Passenger Safety and Vehicle Assessment Regulations
- Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations (Correct answer)
- Passenger Service Vehicle Approval Requirements
- Public Safety Vehicle Access Rules
Correct answer: Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations
PSVAR stands for Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000. These regulations set minimum accessibility standards for PCVs, including requirements for wheelchair spaces, ramps or lifts, priority seating, colour contrast, and route/destination displays.
Question 4: A passenger with a guide dog wishes to board your bus. Another passenger says they are allergic to dogs. What should you do?
- Refuse to carry the guide dog as another passenger has an allergy
- Allow the guide dog on board — assistance dogs have a legal right of access and cannot be refused (Correct answer)
- Ask the guide dog owner to wait for the next bus
- Allow the dog but ask the owner to sit at the back of the bus
Correct answer: Allow the guide dog on board — assistance dogs have a legal right of access and cannot be refused
Under the Equality Act 2010, assistance dogs (guide dogs, hearing dogs, and other registered assistance dogs) have a legal right of access to public transport. Refusing to carry an assistance dog is discrimination. The allergic passenger should be offered an alternative seating position.
Question 5: When communicating with a deaf or hearing-impaired passenger, what is the best approach?
- Shout loudly so they can hear you
- Write everything down on paper
- Face them directly, speak clearly at a normal pace, and use gestures or written communication if needed (Correct answer)
- Ask another passenger to relay your message
Correct answer: Face them directly, speak clearly at a normal pace, and use gestures or written communication if needed
When communicating with deaf or hearing-impaired passengers, face them directly (many lip-read), speak clearly at a normal pace (shouting distorts lip patterns), use natural gestures, and be prepared to write things down if needed. Patience and willingness to communicate are key.
Question 6: The wheelchair space on your bus is occupied by a pushchair. A wheelchair user wishes to board. What should you do?
- Tell the wheelchair user to wait for the next bus
- Ask the pushchair user to fold their pushchair and move to a seat so the wheelchair user can use the designated space (Correct answer)
- Allow both to share the space
- It is first come, first served — the pushchair user has priority
Correct answer: Ask the pushchair user to fold their pushchair and move to a seat so the wheelchair user can use the designated space
Under UK law (following the Supreme Court ruling in FirstGroup v Paulley 2017), drivers must do more than simply ask — they should strongly request that the pushchair user vacates the wheelchair space. Wheelchair users have priority for the designated wheelchair space as they cannot use alternative seating.
PCV Disability Awareness 1
Under the Equality Act 2010, what duty does a PCV driver have towards disabled passengers?