International Wheelchair Day
The vast majority of Harrogate Bus Company vehicles feature two wheelchair spaces as standard. We heard from students and staff at Henshaws Specialist College about what having two wheelchair spaces means to them.
Henshaws student Georgia (right) and Katherine, her support staff member (left), talk onboard a Mercedes-Benz eCitaro, operated by the Harrogate Bus Company.
This International Wheelchair Day (March 1, 2026), we are reminded that for many people, a wheelchair is a lifeline – and feeling confident getting around with it makes a world of difference.
‘It’s so good, you can travel with a friend who also uses a wheelchair’ – Harrogate Bus Company partners with specialist college for International Wheelchair Day
Transdev are already running the first buses in Yorkshire to feature two wheelchair spaces, and as part of their investment strategy, the operator is continuing to introduce these modern, more-accessible vehicles across the North of England.
In support of International Wheelchair Day, the Harrogate Bus Company partnered with a specialist college in North Yorkshire to discuss the impact that additional wheelchair spaces on buses have on the lives of students and support staff.
Whether preparing for employment, making friends, or learning to live more independently, Henshaws Specialist College in North Yorkshire supports thousands of people living with a range of disabilities.
For Henshaws students Georgia (20), Lucy (26), and Elle (20), being in a wheelchair means that they have unique requirements when using public transport, such as the need for dedicated wheelchair spaces and access ramps.
“International Wheelchair Day is important because people need to know more about wheelchairs,” said Georgia, with Elle adding that such days “raise awareness about wheelchairs and the lives of wheelchair users.”
One challenge that students and support staff experience is that sometimes, they are unable to travel together because of a lack of available transport options that can accommodate two wheelchairs at the same time.
This also includes when a student in a wheelchair attempts to board a bus, only to find that the sole wheelchair space is already being used, meaning that support staff have to find alternative travel arrangements.
The Harrogate Bus Company was the first transport operator in Yorkshire to introduce vehicles that include two wheelchair spaces, and as of March 2026, the vast majority of buses within the fleet feature two wheelchair spaces as standard.
Last week, as they boarded one of these two-space buses at Henshaws Specialist College, the students were delighted to learn that they were able to travel together on the same vehicle.
“It is good because you can travel with a friend who also uses a wheelchair,” said one of the students, with another adding: “It’s important that wheelchair users can access the community easily, and having an extra space means you and a friend can travel on the same bus together with two wheelchairs.”
A member of the support staff also commented that having two wheelchair spaces gives both the students and colleagues at the college more confidence to use the buses.
Each Harrogate Bus Company vehicle has a built-in wheelchair ramp, wheelchair-facing stop announcement screens, hearing loops for customers who require hearing aids, and audio next-stop announcements.
Transdev’s bus drivers are trained by industry experts on situational awareness, best practices, and how to safely operate the wheelchair access ramp. As part of their CPC Training (Certificate of Professional Competence), Transdev drivers also experience the challenges associated with manoeuvring a wheelchair onto a bus firsthand, through an active roleplay scenario.
Including those operated by sister companies across Yorkshire and Lancashire, Transdev will be running a grand total of 70 vehicles that feature two wheelchair spaces by this Spring.
Transdev also provides free bus passes for Henshaws students and support staff, for the purpose of travel independence training and accessing the local community.
