A Dundee bus firm has apologised and ordered an urgent investigation after it was claimed a woman suffering from Alzheimer’s disease had her disabled bus pass confiscated.
It is alleged a female driver working for Xplore Dundee removed the disabled pass after remarking the woman in question “didn’t look it”.
The incident is said to have happened on Saturday morning.
The disabled passenger’s furious daughter took to Twitter to slam the firm, saying her mum was left a “sobbing, confused mess” as a result of the incident.
She said: “Absolutely disgraceful behaviour from a driver @XploreDundee — confiscated my mum’s disabled bus card because she doesn’t “look it”.
“She has Alzheimer’s and was left a sobbing, confused mess. Absolutely horrible.
“I’m so angry! She’s more settled now, thankfully, but I hate that it happened in the first place. Disgusting.”
A spokeswoman for Xplore confirmed an investigation is under way.
She said: “We would like to sincerely apologise for the distress caused to this customer and her family.
“An investigation is already under way into this incident and we will update the customer and her family directly once it’s concluded.”
The claims provoked a furious response from members of the public, who branded the incident “disgusting” and “awful”.
One user, Lynne Sadler, said: “Totally out-of-order. What sort of person thinks that’s an acceptable thing to do? Baffling.”
Another, Claire White, said: “This is awful. Hope she’s ok.”
Hannah Sundae said: “OMG I’m horrified!! That’s absolutely disgraceful. Glad to hear she’s settled and they’re looking into it.”
A spokesman for charity Alzheimer Scotland described the claims as “distressing”.
She said: “We are saddened to hear about this distressing situation.
“There are approximately 90,000 people living with dementia across Scotland and with an increasingly older population that number is expected to double in the next 15 years.
“Alzheimer Scotland believes that nobody should face dementia alone and continues to work with supporters and partners to increase awareness of the condition.
“We continue to work with partners in local areas across the country to promote dementia friendly communities to increase understanding of the illness.”
