The Asociación Comarcal para la Rehabilitación de las Personas con Discapacidad (ALPE) has raised serious concerns following an incident involving AVANZA’s school transport service. The event involved two passengers, including one wheelchair user, being trapped onboard a bus for over three hours due to a malfunctioning access ramp. Despite technical staff efforts, the ramp remained stuck, preventing disembarkation. A second bus was dispatched for passengers without mobility issues, but those affected remained confined until emergency services intervened. Torrevieja Local Police and firefighters assisted in safely evacuating the wheelchair user. ALPE criticized AVANZA’s lack of preparedness and highlighted that such accessibility failures are part of a broader issue with using intercity buses for disabled passengers. The organization demands urgent measures such as replacing intercity buses with low-floor urban buses adapted for passengers with mobility challenges, immediate safety interventions, and implementation of effective contingency plans. ALPE emphasized that the critique targets systemic flaws, not the individual staff, and called for decisive action to ensure school transport safety and dignity for all users.
Original title: AVANZA school transport faces accessibility criticism
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