Guide dogs will be helping give Brighton and Hove bus drivers an insight into what using public transport is like for visually impaired people.
The Brighton and Hove Branch of Guide Dogs will visit the Lewes depot on October 6 to help with training, including a series of blindfold challenges including boarding a bus with the aid of a guide dog in training.
Martin Harris Managing Director of Brighton and Hove Bus Company said “Guide Dogs have been brilliant in helping us to add to our existing awareness training and have given us a lot of invaluable new messages.
“We are very excited to be working with them as we move towards 100% of our buses having next –stop announcements next year”
A spokesman for Guide Dogs said: “Guide Dogs as an organisation offer various forms of training to many organisations and public services and to have Brighton and Hove Bus Company on board is a massive step forward in breaking down the barriers that prevent visually impaired people being part of the community.”
Brighton and Hove Buses has also just joined a scheme to help customers who may need extra help using the bus.
The Handycard displays a basic instruction to the driver such as “Please lower the ramp” for passengers that may be unsteady on their feet.
The card is free for any passenger that may need extra assistance or require the driver to be made aware of something discreetly without having to verbally communicate it.
