From Monday 31st March people living in Greater Manchester and holding either an English Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) Disabled Person’s Pass or a TfGM Travel Voucher pass will be able to apply for a permit to use their mobility scooter on Manchester Metrolink. The scheme will initially be running as a six month trial and it is hoped will enable many people in Greater Manchester to be able to get about more using the Metrolink network.
Not all mobility scooters, however, will be able to be used on Metrolink with conditions put in place including the size of the scooter and also the turning circle to ensure that the trams are safe for both the scooter users and other tram users. Anyone applying for a permit will be assessed to make sure they can safely manoeuvre their scooter around and within a tram’s wheelchair space and across Metrolink’s raised platforms.
Peter Cushing, TfGM’s Metrolink Director, said: “This initial six-month trial will help us to manage the introduction of mobility scooters on to the network with one eye on introducing a permanent scheme. The permit will be an official sticker on the mobility scooter chassis that contains a part of the user’s ID number from either their ENCTS Disabled Person’s Pass or their TfGM Travel Voucher pass. The photo IDs will give Metrolink staff a quick and easy way of making sure that both the user and their scooter have been assessed and accepted for the scheme.”