DISABLED people have held a bus stop protest to highlight the difficulties wheelchair users face when they use public transport.

Members of the North Kent Disabled Foundation want Arriva to provide more space for wheelchair users on Fastrack buses.

Fastrack buses, which connect Dartford and Gravesend via Bluewater, currently allow a maximum of one wheelchair on board a bus.

The foundation has 80 members, with 20 who use a wheelchair.

Last week five of the group’s wheelchair users held a demonstration at a bus stop in Princes Road, Dartford, to show how only one person was able to get on, leaving the others to wait for the next bus.

Founder Danny O’Brien said: “The problem is if two or three of us want to go to Bluewater, you can’t all travel together. We have to get separate buses.

“The buses need to take more than one wheelchair and they should let on scooters and electric chairs, otherwise it isolates us.”

Trustee Celia Luscombe, 31, said: “We are trying to push for them to let us reserve a space on the bus.

“If we were to make a journey, we would ring the bus depot and say we are going to be travelling on this route, can we reserve a space.”

A spokesman for Arriva, which runs Fastrack buses, said: “The service has the highest standard of bus stop infrastructure in Kent Thameside with raised kerbs for level access, high quality attractive shelters, electronic real time information and buses equipped with a wheelchair ramp.”

He added: “At the present time there is no practical way of pre-booking any space on Fastrack buses as they are open to the public to board when and where they wish.

“On a 10-minute service it is unlikely that a passenger would be able to be specific about their actual travel time.

“Whilst it may be possible to increase the number of wheelchair spaces on each bus this would result in reducing the seating capacity and that would require careful consideration as it would affect the travel experience for other passengers.”