A TRANSPORT minister has urged a North-East bus firm to buy new vehicles – after hearing its buses failed the frail and disabled.

Robert Goodwill intervened after Hartlepool MP Iain Wright described how buses run by Stagecoach let passengers down on “choice, quality and provision”.

The Labour MP said: “Hartlepool does not have a public transport system - not really. It has a private sector monopolistic service, run by Stagecoach.

“It disregards choice, quality and provision of service and concentrates on profit at the expense of passengers, especially those with disabilities.

“That is why the company can boast of a 17.1 per cent profit margin in its UK bus operations.

“That is why it can increase its earnings per share and dividends to shareholders this year. It is also why it can abolish evening and Sunday bus services in my constituency.”

Mr Wright explained how he had written to Stagecoach to urge the company to run buses with low-floor boarding and audiovisual announcements, for the disabled.

But, he added: “I was told about Transport for London and the trial of a system on the service 7 route in Perth. The company’s letter did not even mention Hartlepool.”

In reply, Mr Goodwill, the Scarborough and Knaresborough MP, said: “I have taken note of the points made about the age of some of the buses in Hartlepool.

“I will certainly write to Stagecoach managers and invite them to Scarborough to visit the Alexander Dennis bus factory, where I am sure they will be able to place an order for state-of-the-art Enviro200 single-decker or Enviro400 double-decker buses.

“The factory will be more than happy to supply Stagecoach with such buses.”

The comments came during a Commons debate on the difficulties facing disabled people when they try to use public transport.

Mr Goodwill said it would cost around £2,000 to install updated audiovisual technology on all each bus.

Andy McDonald, the Labour for Middlesbrough, agreed it was affordable, saying: “Is it not ridiculous that we are talking about such sums of money?

“Windscreen wipers were not compulsory years ago. Such devices should be part and parcel of the ordinary running of a bus company.

“I have not run a bus company, but it would not surprise me if making buses more attractive for people attracted more passengers and encouraged a greater flow of income.”

Stagecoach has argued it “works hard” to meet the needs of all passengers, including the disabled.

It website states: “For example, our new bus interiors were designed in consultation with groups representing people with various levels of ability, both in terms of visual impairment and mobility.”