A BLIND bus user fears that she could ‘get totally lost’ at the new Bolton Interchange because of a lack of support for the visually impaired.

Toni Forrest, who is one of the four per cent of people in the UK who are completely blind, says that she has found the new £48 million transport hub ‘very disorientating’ and fears travelling there alone.

The 49-year-old, from Great Lever, is concerned at the lack of a speaker system to help blind passengers navigate their way around the station.

The old Moor Lane bus station did have such speakers — known as the React system — which were triggered by a fob to announce their location and give service information.

Miss Forrest said: “The system at Moor Lane was great. It was the only station in Greater Manchester that had one and every blind passenger I spoke to said how great it was.

“The transport companies say they want blind people to have their independence, but it is not possible when you go to the new interchange.

“Unless you have had one-on-one training there, you would have to ask someone for help every time you go. It is very disorientating.”

Miss Forrest said that there were plenty of staff on hand to offer help when she first visited the interchange on Monday, but described subsequent journeys as ‘chaos’.

She added: “I was told all of the buses were stopping at stand A, but obviously the driver had got that wrong. I could not have managed on my own.

“There aren’t any speakers to say where you are. There is a tannoy but you can’t really understand what it says, and obviously that is only for major announcements.

“I would not want to go there on my own at the moment.

“There has been a big oversight in terms of their thinking about blind people. It is such a big place and you could get totally lost there.”

Transport bosses say they are considering introducing a new navigation app to assist blind and partially sighted people.

Alex Cropper, Transport for Greater Manchester's head of projects group, said: “TfGM is fully committed to ensuring that all its facilities are fully accessible for all users.

“Right through the design and construction of the interchange, we consulted our Disability Design Reference Group, whose members have a wide range of disabilities, and provide TfGM with valuable insights into the challenges experienced by disabled people using public transport. All of this valuable feedback is carefully considered when designing our buildings and infrastructure, with key points incorporated where possible.

“Regarding the use of the React system, we carefully monitored its usage at Moor Lane and found it to be very low.

“We’re now in the process of investigating new mobile phone navigation apps to assist blind and partially sighted people. These systems are not yet commercially available but are being trialled in other transport situations. We’re more than happy to meet passengers who may have concerns to discuss the design of the interchange and we’d encourage them to get in touch with TfGM Customer Services on 0161 244 1000.”