A wheelchair-user with spina bifida has hit out at bus company First over news there are currently no buses with wheelchair access in Braintree.

Elaine Shuttlewood wanted to know why there are not any buses with wheelchair access in Braintree when there are in Chelmsford.

Miss Shuttlewood, 32, of Oakley Road, Braintree, goes into town nearly every day, to shop or see her parents in Park Drive.

Left behind: wheelchair-user Elaine Shuttlewood, who has spina bifida, can't get on First buses in Braintree. Picture: ADRIAN RUSHTON

But she has to use a taxi which costs about £10 for a return trip.

She said: "They have them in Chelmsford so why can't they have them in Braintree?

"It would be a lot easier if they had them in Braintree as well as Chelmsford."

She said it would help to make her more independent.

The bus company First admitted it had no buses with wheelchair access or low-floor buses in Braintree.

Colin Riches, marketing manager, said: "In some of the new vehicles we are getting and indeed the ones we have replaced at Chelmsford, we specifically supply ramps for wheelchairs."

The company had a plan to eventually change all the buses so wheelchair-users could get on, and was working with councils to alter the height of kerbs to improve access to buses, he said.

"Unfortunately, we haven't got round to doing them in the Braintree area at the moment but it is on the cards to gradually change all the buses throughout the First group to low-floor vehicles.

"All we can do is apologise at the moment but we can't do anything all at once."

Published Tuesday, December 17, 2002

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