Talking Buses campaign

For so many people, buses are key to opening opportunities to get out independently; to go out to work, get to appointments, and to see friends. But for many people with sight loss, bus travel is difficult or near impossible because of lack of audio next stop announcements. Guide Dogs’ Talking Buses campaign for accessible bus travel is set to see this change.

In March the government announced rules that mean buses need to be fitted with audio-visual (AV) next stop announcements. This will have a huge impact on people with vision impairment as well as many other passengers. Knowing where you are on a journey, and where to get off, is vital for independent and confident travel. These new rules mean that almost every local bus and coach company will need to fit AV by October 2026, and the government are providing over £4m to help bus companies upgrade their vehicles. By working with a coalition of supportive organisations, thousands of campaigners, and crucially, empowering blind and partially sighted people to express in their own words the importance of accessible buses, we were able to bring about one of the most significant improvements in transport accessibility in a generation.