Heartlands scrap dog ban on buses??

At least I think so. It’s been a very odd chain of events but I think common sense has finally prevailed…

A few weeks ago people started to contact my office over a sudden ban on pets being able to travel on Heartlands Travel buses which are the only public transport company in parts of rural Lichfield and Tamworth.

A £25 taxi fare each time to go anywhere with Lucy the Chihauha

The company are funded by tax payers via Staffordshire County’s public transport unit and the ban meant that many older people with pets in rural areas who couldn’t drive were being placed in hardship because a taxi to the vets or even just out and about was costing a fortune.

It’s been a bit of an oddity sorting this one out because there’s been some ’toing and frowing’ by Heartlands as to whether they will lift the ban and if they do whether they will charge for pets.

Anyway, my view remains that if the public are paying for the transport via taxes it has to meet their needs as far as possible. The company has the right, as they should, to refuse to carry unruly pets or ones that could cause problems to other passengers but the blanket ban was wrong.

I’m pleased to say the County are now going to strengthen their public transport contracts to ensure strange things like this won’t happen under the new arrangements.

As for charging for pets, I don’t agree with that in normal circumstances. I guess if a dog is the size that will take up a place then that’s down to the common sense of the driver. But I don’t support it.

I don’t know if Heartlands have abandoned that aspect too… I hope so. But I’m sure customers will have a view as will the County when assessing which operations get new public transport contracts and under the new County administration the quality of service will play a bigger part in contracts than before.

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