Imagine standing at a bus stop, watching your bus approach, but not being able to tell whether it’s yours.

For me, that’s an everyday reality. I was born with a rare eye condition called Peters anomaly, and I had eye surgery when I was just eight weeks old. I’ve lived with significant sight loss my whole life.

I’m calling on the Scottish Government to pilot audio announcements at Scotland’s busiest bus stops, so blind and visually impaired passengers can hear which bus is arriving.

When my friends turned 17 and started learning to drive, I knew it was a milestone I would never reach. For me, public transport isn’t a convenience. It’s my independence, and my route to work, education, friends and everyday life.

But I can’t read the number on a bus as it pulls in. So I guess, risk missing it, or ask a stranger. It’s something most people never think about, but it makes every journey more stressful. For people with even less sight than me, it’s harder still.

Most buses across Britain now have to announce the next stop on board. That’s a real step forward. But nothing helps you at the stop itself, at the moment you need to know which bus to get on. That’s the gap I want to close.

I know a change like this takes planning and investment. That’s why I’m asking for a pilot first. I’d like the Scottish Government to work with councils, bus operators and sight loss charities to test audio announcements at a few busy stops, then roll them out across Scotland if they work.

Since starting this petition, I’ve met my MSP, Collette Stevenson, who has agreed to raise it with Transport Scotland. I’m also meeting RNIB Scotland to talk about how we can push this forward together.

Accessibility shouldn’t be an afterthought. Something as simple as hearing which bus is arriving could give blind and visually impaired people the confidence to travel independently, without relying on strangers.

Please sign and share, so that no one in Scotland has to watch their bus drive past because they couldn’t tell it was theirs.

Stephen Flynn MSP

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