An Oldham man who has been told to get off the tram due to his power chair has spoken out.

Paul Duffy has been a chair user since July 2021, after experiencing a stroke.

The 52-year-old from Hollinwood  upgraded to a ‘Quantum 4Front Power Chair’ in June 2023 as the one he had before was too slow and uncomfortable.

In recent months, Mr Duffy says lifts at Hollinwood and Failsworth have been regularly out of order, similar to those at Freehold, and, since getting the new chair, he has been told he can’t get on some buses – meaning it’s down to luck whether he can complete his journeys on time.

Despite the Metrolink trams usually being ‘perfect’ for accessibility, according to Mr Duffy, he has even been asked to get off trams by members of staff due to not having a permit.

He said: “Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The last of couple of months the lifts have been out of order, there have been other disabled people trying to get down the steps, trying to get on the platform.

“I’ve been chucked off a tram twice because I didn’t have a permit for my wheelchair. One week I got on it at Rochdale and the ticket inspector said ‘Have you got a permit?’

“I showed him my free bus pass and he said ‘No, a permit for your chair’. I said ‘No’, and he said I’d have to get off at the next stop.

According to TfGM, some mobility scooters do require permits to use on Metrolink services – but it’s not clear whether Paul’s chair would count as a scooter.

The battery life of Mr Duffy’s chair means taking to the roads to complete the journey without a vehicle often isn’t an option – meaning his journeys are at the whim of bus and tram staff.

He said: “I was trying to get on a bus and the bloke said ‘Sorry, you can’t get on the bus with that mate, it’s too big; I’m not being funny, I’m not being ignorant, it’s because of the turning radius, but the next one has a wider path so you might be able to get on that one’.

“I waited in Oldham bus station, the bus turned up and I got on it OK. Some buses I can get on with the chair, some I can’t.”

TfGM promises improvements

Fran Wilkinson, TfGM’s customer and growth director, said: “We are sorry to hear about the issues Mr Duffy has faced, and would encourage him to get in touch with us so we can try and help improve his travelling experience.

“Making sure our bus, tram and train services are as accessible as possible is really important and one of our key Bee Network commitments.

“We are investing in a range of measures to make it easier for people to use public transport, including new buses with more space for wheelchair users, new Changing Places facilities, replacing Metrolink lifts and improvements to road crossings, bus stops and at Greater Manchester’s most inaccessible train stations.”