Accessibility and inclusion

Our Assisted Travel Team

Our dedicated Assisted Travel Team offers travel support by providing journey and booking information and, subject to availability, they can reserve a front seat and/or the dedicated wheelchair space. They can discuss and agree on the level of assistance that may be required at each stage of your journey and advise you on what can be provided.

To discuss any adjustments or accessibility requirements you may have, contact our Assisted Travel Team by calling 03717 81 81 81, (lines are open 7 days a week 8am - 6pm) or email using our assisted travel form. Further contact details are provided at the end of this Code of Practice. When getting in touch, simply explain your requirements and once an advisor has assessed the details, they will give you all the information you will need for your journey.

Please make sure you give us as much information as possible before you travel as this will help us deliver the right service on the day.

Booking Assistance

When booking your assistance we recommend you let us know what contact our Assisted Travel Team at least 36 hours before you intend to travel (wherever possible). We can then discuss any assistance needs you have. The more information you provide and the further in advance we can discuss it with you, the better prepared we will be to meet your needs when you travel with us. However, if you do book travel on the same day or less than 36 hours in advance, we will still make all reasonable efforts to meet your needs for when you travel with us.

Access to our coaches

Wheelchair access to our coaches is via a lift located at the front of the coach. Our wheelchair accessible coaches have an extra-large entrance and a flat floor throughout the coach to aid mobility.

We regularly invest in new coaches and all of our fleet now has a wheelchair lift at the front entrance.

Standing on the wheelchair lift

We are not able to permit customers or colleagues to stand on the lift whilst in use. To assist boarding if you are unable to use the steps, we have invested in manual wheelchairs, stored in the luggage hold of each of our coaches. The wheelchair will be used to seat you when the lift is used and provide step-free access onto the coach. Please visit the below section on Travelling in a National Express Wheelchair and transferring to a seat.

Wheelchair users travelling in a coach seat

For customers who can and/or would prefer to transfer from their wheelchair to a coach seat, we can transport lightweight wheelchairs safely stowed in the luggage hold of the coach. A wheelchair can be safely stowed in the luggage hold when:

(i) it is capable of being folded and unfolded
(ii) if it can’t be folded, it can be dismantled and reassembled by the passenger or their carer/companion
(iii) if it has a battery, the battery is a dry fuel cell or gel fuel cell or lithium battery. There is no requirement for customers to remove or do anything relating to the battery or power of the wheelchair when stored in the hold of the coach or when used to travel in the cabin of the coach for the journey duration.
(iv) it has no assistance or auxiliary aids which would make it unsafe for stowage; and
(v) it weighs no more than 20kg.

We will also need to check that the stops at which you plan to board and alight the coach are wheelchair accessible so that the coach lift can be deployed.

We therefore recommend that a customer wishing to transfer from their wheelchair to a coach seat books with us at least 36 hours in advance of travel, by contacting our Assisted Travel team. This will allow us to check that your wheelchair (and ancillary equipment if applicable) is safe for stowage in the luggage hold and that the stops you plan to use are wheelchair accessible and the lift can be deployed.

However, if you book travel on the same day or less than 36 hours in advance we will make all reasonable efforts to complete these required steps within the time period provided.

Wheelchair users travelling in their wheelchairs in the designated wheelchair space

We recognise that..,.The wheelchair space on our coaches is fitted with a seat which can be quickly and easily removed. We recognise that some wheelchair users can, must, or prefer to, travel in a coach seat rather than in their wheelchair. Having a seat in the space means both disabled customers and other customers can use this seat when the space is not required by wheelchair users travelling in their wheelchair.

For those customers who want to travel in their wheelchair, we need to carry out the checks listed in our Wheelchair User Guidelines (available from our Assisted Travel Team or here) to ensure that we are able to provide travel (the “Requirements”). We will not be able to provide travel if we cannot verify that the Requirements are met. We therefore recommend that a passenger planning to travel in their wheelchair makes a booking at least 36 hours in advance of travel by contacting our Assisted Travel Team to give us time to carry out the necessary checks. However, if you book travel on the day or less than 36 hours in advance we will make reasonable efforts to complete these required steps within the time period provided.

When notifying us, we ask that you give us details of the size, make and model of the wheelchair you will be travelling in and any modifications you might have made to the wheelchair so we can make the necessary checks. These checks relate specifically to whether the wheelchair can be safely secured in the wheelchair space on our coaches.

If we have previously confirmed the compatibility of a particular wheelchair, this information will be stored on our database, so we should be able to reconfirm compatibility at the point you call our Assisted Travel Team, or very soon thereafter.

Travelling in a National Express Wheelchair and transferring to a seat

All of our coaches have wheelchairs which are stowed in the luggage hold and are available for passengers to use to board the coach and transfer to a seat using the passenger lift. To board in this way, we will be required to make the checks outlined below prior to your journey

(i) that the stops you wish you board and alight are stops where the passenger lift can be safely deployed.
(ii) that there is space on the coach.

We therefore recommend that a passenger wishing to board the coach using a National Express makes a booking at least 36 hours in advance of travel, by contacting our Assisted Travel Team, however customers can turn up and travel without pre-booking.

Limitations on Travel

While our coaches are wheelchair accessible, the toilets on our coaches are not. Should you have any requirements in this respect, please advise our Assisted Travel Team when discussing your journey. If you need to use the toilet during your journey, ask the driver to make a stop at the next available/appropriate station.

While customers cannot travel in their mobility scooters, we do accept small lightweight mobility scooters that can be safely stowed in the luggage hold of the coach. A mobility scooter can be safely stowed in the luggage hold when:

(i) it is capable of being folded and unfolded;
(ii) it can be dismantled and reassembled by the passenger or their carer/companion (if it can’t be folded);
(iii) the battery is a dry fuel cell or gel fuel cell or lithium battery. There is no requirement for customers to remove or do anything relating to the battery or power of the wheelchair when stored in the hold of the coach or when used to travel in the cabin of the coach for the journey duration
(iv) it has no assistance or auxiliary aids which would make it unsafe for stowage; and
(v) the heaviest part of the mobility scooter weighs no more than 20kg.

We recommend that a customer planning to stow a mobility scooter in the luggage hold makes a booking at least 36 hours in advance of travel, by contacting our Assisted Travel Team. This will allow us to check that your mobility scooter (and ancillary equipment if applicable) is safe for stowage in the luggage hold. However, if you wish to book travel on the day or less than 36 hours in advance we will make all reasonable efforts to complete these required steps within the time period provided.

In order to carry out the above checks, we will need you to give us details of the size, make and model of the mobility scooter you will be travelling with.

We will advise you either at the time of booking or by calling you back, about the suitability of your mobility scooter for carriage in the luggage hold of our coaches. If we have previously confirmed the compatibility of a particular mobility scooter, this information will be stored on our database, so we should be able to reconfirm compatibility at the point you call our Assisted Travel Team, or very soon thereafter.

• Our team and drivers are expected to:
  • Recognise and offer reasonable assistance, wherever possible or on request, to our disabled customers and those customers with any accessibility requirements;
  • Be flexible, polite and respectful in their response to requests for assistance;
  • Respond to specific requests from our Assisted Travel Team, ensuring that particular/specified requirements are met;
  • Whenever possible, carry disabled customers’ luggage (or luggage belonging to customers with reduced mobility) to/from the departure/pickup point (maximum weight 20kg).
• If you are disabled, have reduced mobility, or a long term health condition which requires a reserved / specific seat we can reserve a seat on the coach for you, if you feel this would be helpful to you during your journey (subject to availability).
• We will keep our drivers and station team informed of your specific requirements and ensure that they provide the appropriate assistance.
• Our drivers and station team will load and unload your luggage (including your wheelchair and/or mobility scooter if they meet the requirements referred to in section 2 or 3 as applicable above) to and from the coach, but they are unable to assist with items over 20kg.
• Our drivers will also offer appropriate assistance when required by providing a steady arm for you to hold while you board and/or disembark a service and/or to assist you to your seat. If you need assistance getting on or off a coach, just let us know by contacting our Assisted Travel Team or tell the driver on the day.
• We can only offer assistance in the station or at a stop where we have National Express staff and during the hours we have staff on-site. If you need assistance in the station or at a stop, just let us know by contacting our Assisted Travel Team. We will then let you know if the station/stop you will be using is staffed. If it is, we will do all we can to make sure that a member/s of our team are there when you get on or off your coach (during the advertised opening hours). We will make reasonable efforts to provide this assistance in a prompt and timely manner. To download or view a full list of facilities available to customers at our stations/stops, please see our Facilities Directory
• Drivers of coaches travelling to London Victoria Coach Station (VCS) will – when they have been notified to do so – request Mobility Assistance from the Transport for London (TfL) Help Point Team at VCS. VCS is owned and operated by Transport for London (TfL). TfL provides its own Mobility Assistance service for National Express and members of the public with reduced mobility. For information in respect of the mobility assistance available at VCS please visit www.tfl.gov.uk.
• We welcome customers who require oxygen carried in hand-held/personal oxygen bottles or portable breathing aids. Unfortunately, we cannot carry any larger canisters for safety reasons.

We welcome highly trained assistance dogs and assistance animals on our coaches. We do recommend that customers pre-book as this will help us ensure that you and your assistance dog/animal get a seat and that your assistance dog/animal has enough space for the duration of the journey.

You will be asked to provide information that your assistance dog/animal is highly trained, such as a certificate, correspondence from the training organisation, ID book, owner training logs, an email or a verbal assessment from the owner confirming what training has taken place. Customers can contact us to discuss, please get in touch with our Assisted Travel Team on 03717 81 81 81, lines open 7 days a week, 8am - 6pm or email us using our assisted travel form.

We:

• request that assistance dogs or animals wear a safety harness or are placed in a pet carrier that can fit on a seat when on board the Coach which shall be attached to the seatbelt of a spare seat. The safety harness or pet carrier is something that you, the Customer, will be required to provide; and
• require that, where applicable, you ensure that your assistance dog is transported in compliance with the requirements of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (and any other relevant legislation).

For Animal welfare and, Health & Safety, there are groups of animals that are restricted for travel;

• Puppies under 12 weeks old, other juvenile animals.
• Birds or flying mammals.
• Non-domesticated/‘wild’ animals including but not limited to; hedgehogs, any animal from the weasel family, foxes, squirrels and rats.
• Reptiles e.g. snakes and lizards, insects, spiders, amphibians and fish.
• Livestock/farm animals including but not limited to; micro pigs, and pigmy goats.

This is not an exhaustive list, customers can contact us to discuss, please contact our Assisted Travel Team on 03717 81 81 81, lines open 7 days a week, 8am - 6pm or email us using our assisted travel form.

• Our staff are not permitted to assist you with eating or with personal care/hygiene.
• Health and Safety considerations mean that we cannot lift or carry you in any way (either on or off the coach or in or out of your seat), or take any other action that might put our team’s own health, safety or welfare at risk.
• We cannot provide any medical service such as giving injections. If you have a medical condition that requires others to provide this type of care, make sure you always travel with a companion, who can assist you during your journey.
• Our drivers and teams are unable to dismantle or reassemble mobility scooters or wheelchairs.

For an annual fee, our Disabled Coachcard gives you 1/3 off your travel, all year round. You can purchase a coachcard via our Disabled Coachcard page

You can also buy over the phone by calling our booking line on 03717 818 181, or at our coach stations and travel agents across the UK. Please click here to find your nearest booking agent.

To use your Disabled Coachcard you’ll just need to provide your card number when you book your ticket and ensure that you have it with you whenever you travel (as it is a discounted ticket).

The Disabled Coachcard offers discounts all year round – you can use it any time, every day, with no peak or off-peak restrictions.

Leaflets are also available at all our coach stations. Alternatively, contact our Assisted Travel Team for more information.

Our Assisted Travel Team is based in our Customer Service Centre in central Birmingham. The team can be contacted by phone, text talk services and email, and are/will:

• Available between 8am and 6pm seven days a week (you can send us an email outside of these hours and we will deal with your email at the earliest opportunity)
• Specially trained to respond to requests for assistance from our disabled customers. Advisors will ask for all the necessary and relevant information required to help us deliver the best possible service on the day of travel
• Respond to all requests for information and for disabled assistance within 24 hours
• Provide information and communication by email us using our assisted travel form.
• Provide access to large print information, or other formats if you require, please ask.
• Investigate, follow-up and report back to you should you tell us about anything that went wrong with your journey
• Advise you if you make a request we cannot fulfil
• If you notify us that your pre-booked arrangements did not meet your expectations, investigate and report back to you

When meeting our commitments to disabled customers, we take into account relevant UK legislation including (without limitation) the Equality Act 2010.

We also take into account all relevant parts of EU legislation including Regulation (EU) No. 181/2011 concerning the rights of passengers in bus and coach transport. A full version of the legislation is available here. For more information, visit our website.

We really do welcome feedback and comments from all our customers, which helps us to understand how we can improve our service to you.

If you want to contact our Assisted Travel Team, need any further information before you book your coach journey, or just wish to confirm any of the points raised, please contact us by any of the methods detailed below:

By calling our team on 03717 81 81 81, lines open 7 days a week, 8am - 6pm.

Via email: Our assisted travel form.

By post:

The Assisted Travel Team
National Express
National Express House
Mill Lane
Digbeth
Birmingham
B5 6DD

All tickets are issued and passengers carried subject to the National Express General Conditions of Carriage.

Issued by: National Express Ltd, National Express House, Birmingham Coach Station, Mill Lane, Birmingham B5 6DD.

Company registration number: 2590560