Disabled Hawke's Bay man wrongly denied bus travel by GoBay driver

Tony Martin, 63, was left stranded in Napier after wrongly being denied entry to a GoBay bus. Photo / Warren Buckland

Hawke's Bay Regional Council has apologised after a disabled Napier man was left stranded on the roadside after being denied entry to a GoBay bus.

Tony Martin is a paraplegic and has been in a wheelchair since 1976.

The 63-year-old was planning on catching the bus to work after dropping his car off to get serviced in Napier at 8am on Tuesday.

But he was refused entry after the bus driver insisted he needed a carer with him.

Martin, who has been in a wheelchair for 45 years after an accident aged 19, said he was left stranded after a "heated discussion" with the driver.

"I wheeled up to the bus stop and asked the driver to put the ramp down. But the driver said it's policy to have a carer.

"My wife had to pick me up from the doctors nearby, but I jumped into the car and drove myself to work.

"If it had been raining, I would've got saturated."

Council confirmed an investigation was undertaken by the depot manager at Go Bus Transport Ltd and the passenger will receive a letter of apology.

Chris Perley, a former Green Party candidate for Tukituki who has Guillain Barre syndrome and uses a wheelchair, said an apology is "pointless" if the company and drivers don't learn from the incident.

Perley said people often make assumptions when encountering someone in a wheelchair.

"There is a big difference between a quadriplegic, who does need assistance, and a paraplegic who could be lifting weights, throwing discus and so on," he said.

"We're quite capable of living by ourselves. But the most important thing here is the company and the drivers learn so it doesn't happen again."

Council's general manager policy and regulation, Katrina Brunton, said the bus driver involved has acknowledged he made a mistake.

"We are very sorry for any embarrassment and inconvenience caused to the passenger," she said.

According to GoBay guidelines, if a wheelchair size and weight complies and the passenger can board after a ramp is lowered, pay their fare and disembark independently, they can travel without a caregiver.

Tony Martin, who has been in a wheelchair for 45 years, has never had a caregiver. Photo / Warren Buckland

Martin, who is self-proclaimed "abled body disabled", said he had never had a carer and does everything for himself, from driving to mowing his lawns.

"I can do everything - I've driven tractors on farms, been hunting, I do my own gardening, I build, I drive," he said.

"I'd very much like an apology as this isn't the first time this has happened. The council said they would talk to the driver, but I wanted them to talk to all drivers."

Brunton said all GoBay bus drivers will be reminded of the wheelchair guidelines in due course.

She also said the guidelines have been in place for "a number of years".

Lyn Mcclure, who was waiting at the nearby doctors, said she was "gobsmacked" and concerned for the health of Martin.

"It was freezing cold and he was lightly dressed," she said. "The receptionist saw him outside and opened up early to let him into the warmth.

"That is unacceptable and need to be corrected."