A new training scheme has been launched by Stagecoach to let bus drivers experience travelling as a passenger with sight loss.

Staff at Aberdeen bus station wore special "sim specs" so they could experience first-hand the barriers that blind and partially sighted passengers face when using their service.

Meanwhile, blind and partially sighted passengers had to opportunity to sit upfront in the cab and engage with those boarding the bus from the driver's perspective.

Stagecoach North Scotland previously signed a charter from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) that commits it to meeting the needs of passengers with a visual impairment.

Managing director for Stagecoach North Scotland, Mark Whitelocks, said: "We want to make it as easy and safe as possible for people who are blind and partially sighted to use our services here in north Scotland.

"Our employees play an important part in ensuring that blind and partially sighted people receive the assistance they require to make public transport an easy and pleasant experience."

Deputy director of RNIB Scotland, James Adams, said: "It's great news that Stagecoach North Scotland has embraced our campaign.

"Bus travel can be a lifeline for blind and partially sighted people, who rely on buses more than most because they are unable to drive and taxis are too expensive for everyday journeys.

"We think if drivers are more aware of the problems people with sight loss face they will take that extra bit of time to ensure they can make their journey confidently."