Edinburgh Trams is trialling a new initiative to help customers who have difficulty standing to find a seat for their journey.
New priority badges, complemented by improved on-board signage, are to be introduced to help ‘priority' customers to communicate their needs without the embarrassment of having to ask for assistance.
Dean Anderson, Customer Experience Manager at Edinburgh Trams, explained:
“Our staff are always on hand to assist customers with their journey, but feedback suggests that some customers find it difficult to talk about their needs. The badge is a discreet way of helping our priority customers gain access to a seat.”
The blue pin badges will simply display the text ‘Please offer me a seat’ and are similar to schemes that have already been trialled in locations such as London, Newcastle and the West Midlands.
George Eckton Partnership Director at the South East of Scotland Transport Partnership says:
“We all have a responsibility to understand the problems and worries faced by many when using public transport and it is great to see such a positive step being taken by Edinburgh Trams. By providing a simple form of communication between the provider and the passenger, the gap between disabled and non-disabled passengers begins to close. This is exactly the approach we have taken with our Thistle Assistance Card &, combining the two can only help improve the journey experience for the more vulnerable in our communities, helping to deliver a better, more equal transport network that works for everyone.”
The badges are available now by contacting Customer Services or through social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. The new signage is being trialled on selected trams and has been designed to make priority areas – which can be used by expectant mothers as well as the elderly, infirm, disabled and anyone carrying a Thistle Assistance Card – more obvious.