A bus mobility scooter trial, which was recommended to start last month, has been delayed.

Currently, mobility scooters are not accepted on Bus Vannin services.

In the April 2021 sitting of Tynwald a motion was agreed which committed the Department of Infrastructure to accept the carriage of mobility scooters.

A report on improving bus accessibility, in particular looking at ways that the island’s bus service can meet the commitment to allow mobility scooters on buses, was published in September 2022.

It recommends a 12-month trial for mobility scooters to be able to access buses on route 21 between Douglas and Farmhill. It suggested that this would start in April 2023.

Chris Thomas, Minister for Infrastructure said: ‘In Keys recently, I talked about an overall holistic bus review, and I am expecting advice from the access group as part of that review.’

Minister Thomas expects the results of the review to be published in the next few months.

He said: ‘Bus Vannin now have a relationship with the Confederation for Passenger Transport (CPT), a UK transport advisory group, to go through each aspect of the code to make our buses as accessible as possible.’

The talks with the CPT are ongoing.

Mr Thomas said: ‘Before we start a trial we need to set up a system of registration and proof of safety that mobility scooter users can travel on the bus safely for both themselves and others.

‘We need to make sure the drivers are able to use and deploy the ramps safely.

‘We have to look through with CPT’s help some of the routes in terms of the speed available.

‘Every time you have a mobility scooter on the bus, you need to think through the amount of space that can be occupied by a pram, wheelchair, or somebody else so we need to get a code of behaviour established.

‘I want to make sure it is done the right way and that is why I want to look at the CPT code after I have received advice from the access group, to integrate that into the holistic bus timetable review.

‘I want to make sure the buses are as accessible as possible and I am optimistic that soon we will be able to do the right thing which is to allow type two mobility scooters on to buses.’

No revised start date for the trial has been given.