News / KNowle West
Disability charity ‘left stranded’ by coach company
A disability charity in south Bristol say they were “left stranded” by a company which sent an inaccessible coach to take them on a day out.
Young and Free had booked a wheelchair-friendly vehicle with Catch Coaches to take a group of disabled people and their carers on a trip to West Midland Safari Park.
But the Knowle West-based charity say a standard coach arrived on the day and that they were told an adapted one was not available, forcing them to cancel their plans.
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They paid almost £1,000 for the coach booking but have been unable to receive a refund. Catch Coaches did not provide a comment.
A disabled charity say their plans to visit a safari park were cancelled after a coach company sent an inaccessible vehicle – photo: Young and Free
“I tried to stay calm, but it was really frustrating to have planned this day and then it wasn’t happening,” says Young and Free’s project coordinator Laura Whittle, recalling the day in late June 2022.
In the booking email seen by Bristol24/7, Whittle requested a coach with wheelchair space. She says she then phoned the company three times to ensure the vehicle would be accessible.
But she adds: “The day of the trip arrived and lo and behold it was not accessible. The driver even claimed that, after having spoken to his manager, no mention was made about it needing to be wheelchair accessible.”
Whittle says the driver then departed, leaving the group of 25 “stranded” at Filwood Community Centre where Young and Free – a buddying and befriending service for disabled young people – are based.
She recalls: “There were a few tears because people were looking forward to the trip for a long time because we only do a couple of coach trips in a year. It was one of the main highlights of their summer, everybody was disappointed and upset.”
Young and Free say they were “left stranded” in Knowle West after Catch Coaches sent a vehicle which was not wheelchair-friendly – photo: Charlie Watts
Fortunately, the group were still able to have a day out, with the carers using their cars to take everybody to the M Shed and then a meal at Za Za Bazaar.
While Young and Free have been refunded the £300 they paid for the safari park tickets, they are still waiting to be refunded the £900 they paid for the coach.
Whittle says she emailed and phoned the company in the weeks following the incident – but was told they were “too busy” to speak to her.
She adds: “We want to share what happened so that other people and local groups don’t have the same experience we did and lose out on their money.”
Catch Coaches – who do not have an address on their website – did not provide a comment to Bristol24/7, despite multiple attempts to obtain one.
Charlie Watts is reporting on Knowle West as part of Bristol24/7’s community reporter scheme, a project which aims to tell stories from areas of Bristol traditionally under-served by the mainstream media
Main photo: Charlie Watts
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