Suzanne, 41, does not drive and relies on public transport to get to health appointments, participate in leisure activities, see friends and family, and to go shopping. The sensory environment and unexpected changes to plans that she is exposed to when travelling are her main challenges. She describes a particularly difficult journey in Greater Manchester:
 

"I have invisible disabilities and a concessionary travel pass, which I scanned while boarding the bus. I was only going one stop, but the bus driver did not let me know that the next 2 stops were closed. He also drove past people who were signalling for the bus to stop. 10 minutes later I saw a different bus from the same network stop at the ‘closed’ stop. I was concerned about getting to my meeting on time and the driver was not helpful when I spoke to him. How was I supposed to know the bus stop I needed was closed?

 

I cannot walk far and ended up being dropped further from my destination than when I’d got on the bus. I am autistic, which means I do not cope well when my plans change unexpectedly. Similar issues happen often, where drivers drop me much further than I need without notice. Once, the stop was open, but the driver said he couldn’t stop because another bus was stopped there. Another time, my carer asked if the stop was still closed and the driver replied, 'I'll know when I get there', which is no good to anyone and terrible customer service. It's appalling."

Difficult and unpleasant interactions coupled with disruptions made the journey particularly stressful for Suzanne, who decided to complain to the transport provider. They apologised for the service she received but were unable reassure her that it wouldn’t happen again. 

She continues to experience persistent difficulties with accessibility of the bus service in her area and feels that it is important that bus providers ensure up-to-date route and closures information is easily available to passengers. Their staff would also benefit from training to understand autism and hidden disabilities. 

Most autistic people we surveyed mentioned how difficult they find the loud, bright and crowded environments on public transport. Suzanne finds train travel especially hard because of sensory sensitivity. She talked about being unable to use some stations because of the loud volume of announcements on the public address (PA) system:
 

"Some announcements were at a bearable volume but one of the voices was unbearably loud. I was very distressed and overwhelmed on my journey because of the sensory overload I experienced. I won’t be able to use the station until I know that it will be accessible. That station offered cheaper tickets than others nearby, so it will cost me more to have an accessible experience. That is not acceptable. I need to be confident that public transport is accessible for neurodivergent passengers."

In an already challenging environment, the attitude of staff and other passengers makes all the difference. Sometimes, they make things worse with judgement, disregard or hostility.  Unkind comments have often increased the level of distress that Suzanne has experienced:
 

"Recently, my carer asked a bus driver to close the doors as there was a child screaming and I experience pain from loud noises due to sensory processing differences. The driver refused and laughed in his face, resulting in a meltdown which I am still recovering from."

Suzanne also told us that some simple and compassionate gestures have sometimes made her travel experience more positive. For example, when a bus driver waited for her to be seated before setting off, and when staff helped her find and board her train when she was feeling panicked. Having people understand and respect autistic passengers makes all the difference.
 
To make public transport accessible for her, Suzanne feels it would help if there was: 

• Mandatory training for people working in public transport to learn about autism, what differences they experience and what they need to help them make travel easier;
• Clear, advance communication about changes to services;
• Rules for passengers to clean up after themselves and be considerate of others by not playing audio aloud; 
• Quiet zones in public spaces for passengers;
• Concessionary tickets for carers.