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ScotRail deny blind man and guide dog Sleeper booking

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paulypaul

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6 Aug 2012
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Just to play devil's advocate, does the sleeper offer accommodation for mobility scooters?

http://www.scotrail.co.uk/content/mobility-scooters.html

If you use a mobility scooter, we'd like to make travel on our trains as easy as possible for you. Light Travel Scooters can be carried on all ScotRail services including Sleepers (with the exception of the Fort William Sleeper where the guard’s van detaches at Edinburgh).

Please take into account the following:

You need to book in advance through the ScotRail Assisted Travel helpline on 0800 912 2901 or 18001 0800 912 2901 (Travel Text Relay services for the hard of hearing).
We can only carry one scooter per train, unless the train has second wheelchair space.
You must be capable of transferring to a seat on the train. The scooter manufacturer’s instructions normally specify that you cannot travel sitting on the scooter whilst travelling in another vehicle.
Scooters must be stowed in the designated Disabled/Wheelchair areas.
Scooters must not have either a canopy or a rear fitted basket that would make the scooter too large for the available space.
On sleeper services, a scooter will take up 2 bicycle reservations and is stored in the guard’s van.

Scooters suitable for train travel

Only Light Travel Scooters (or those with a similar design/specification) will be accepted. Light Travel Scooters are the only models that can be safely and efficiently manoeuvred to the disabled space where it must be stowed during the journey.
Things to make sure of

When you book, you will be asked what type of scooter you have. Refer to your owner’s manual for the size and measurements of the scooter. Some manuals will give maximum user weight and turning radius that should not be more than 99 cm (see table below). Scooters which meet the following criteria can be carried:
Maximum dimensions
Maximum length 104cm (41”)
Maximum width 56cm (22”)
Maximum user weight 136kgs (300lbs – 21 stones)
Maximum turning radius 99cm (39”)


You’ll also be asked if you are able to transfer yourself from the scooter to a seat without staff assistance, as you won’t be allowed to travel on the train while seated on the scooter. This will also help if the scooter has to be pushed in/out of the train. Unfortunately, if you can’t, your booking cannot be accepted.
When the scooter is parked it must be immobilised by having the key taken off/out, having the battery removed or being switch operated, depending on type of scooter controls. This policy only applies to our services – if your journey involves other train operators, check with them too.

My dad and I travelled on the Inverness service to Newtonmore with his light travel mobility scooter in December without any problem. I had booked the requisite space in the guards van and so long as your scooter meets the physical dimension requirements, then there should be no problem.

I have to say that the Scotrail onboard staff were very, very helpful with the ramp and everything else and I thanked the staff and tweeted my pleasure to @Scotrail
 
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marks87

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23 Jun 2010
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The Fort William exception seems odd to me.

Presumably scooters are like bikes, and get their own "ticket" that must be affixed to the scooter. Why, then, can't they be carried as far as Edinburgh then moved into the BUO that's attached there?
 

AlexS

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Just outside the Black Country
I presume ScotRail are not willing to be responsible for the movement of the scooter (which would require the keys normally, I believe, to put it in to freewheel), unless it's owner wishes to be woken up at whatever hour of the morning to assist. In any case the faff of transferring it from one van to the other is probably not seen to be practical, they do take a bit of moving.

The last one I had to deal with I slung in the TGS van in a HST and I definitely required the help of the owner (or rather, one of her friends).
 
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