The staff at First Scotland East’s Bannockburn Bus Depot today received high praise from one of its disabled passengers.
Wheelchair user Gill Bedwell from Whins of Milton in Stirling relies solely on public transport and mainly First Scotland East’s services to get out and about.
Working in partnership First’s operations managers, bus drivers and stance inspectors make sure Gill can access buses and get to where she needs to go, and have even laid on an extra bus when Gill was feeling unwell so as she could get home.
Gill received some good news recently when following a two year application period, the charity ‘Canine Partners’ provided her with Holly, a two year old Black Labrador / Golden Retriever Cross. Holly has been specially trained to help Gill do everyday tasks such as opening and shutting doors, picking up dropped items and getting the phone and bringing it to her when it rings.
As part of Holly’s training, Gill took her to First Scotland East’s Bannockburn Depot. The purpose was to familiarise Holly with the look, smell and feel of a bus, before Gill and Holly ventured onto one of First’s services for the first time together.
Gill said: “I cannot speak highly enough of the dedication, kindness and customer focus displayed by the entire team from First Scotland East’s Bannockburn depot. Nothing seems too much trouble and they consistently go that extra mile to help me out. That’s why I’ve nominated the entire depot for one of the company’s internal Superstar awards.”
Talking about her relationship with Holly, Gill added: “Having a ‘canine partner’ makes my life so much easier. Holly helps me with everyday tasks, such as emptying the washing machine, getting dressed and is trained to activate my alarm in an emergency. Her companionship has also given me peace of mind and the extra confidence and independence to get out and about more often.
“That’s why we visited the Bannockburn Bus Depot. It’s the third time that I’ve visited the depot – on previous occasions the team helped me get familiar with travelling on the bus with my wheelchair. Holly had no problems on the bus and we’ve already made our first bus journeys together.
“I’ve always been very active and I’m determined not to let my condition affect my ability to enjoy life to the full. I’m incredibly grateful to all the staff at First in Bannockburn for their support, understanding and goodwill.”
Jason Hackett, Operations Manager at First Scotland East’s Bannockburn Depot said: “Gill is one of our regular customers and we’ve developed a great relationship over the years. We try to make bus travel a little easier for her. I’m really pleased that she’s nominated our entire depot for a Superstar award. We’ve got a great team here in Bannockburn that work really hard to provide good services for all our customers.”