DPTAC has an important role to play in our ambition to have an
inclusive transport network allowing disabled people to travel
easily and with dignity.
- Transport Minister appoints new members to committee
- membership will help remove barriers to transport
accessibility, supporting the government's inclusivity goals
- the new appointees bring experience in disability academia,
policy and transport accessibility
Local Transport Minister has today (19 February
2025) announced the appointment of 13 new members to the Disabled Persons Transport
Advisory Committee (DPTAC).
The independent committee provides advice to the Department for
Transport (DfT) on
the transport needs of disabled people – particularly on
ministerial policy priorities and areas they think need urgent
attention.
Their works helps DfT stand by its ambition to
ensure transport is accessible for all, including keeping it at
the heart of bus and rail reform, as well as the establishment of
the Passenger Standards Authority.
Local Transport Minister, , said:
We are clear in our ambition to have an inclusive transport
network so disabled people can travel easily confidently and with
dignity. DPTAC has
a key role in ensuring we develop policy that delivers this.
This unique committee has membership with broad understanding of
the barriers faced by disabled people and it ensures those issues
are understood right from the start of policy development.
The new members of DPTAC are:
- Damian Joseph Bridgeman – prominent leader in public policy,
disability advocacy, and corporate governance
- Mark Cutter – Chair of Northern's Accessibility User Group
(NAUG) and the Rail Accessibility and Inclusion Forum for the
North (RAIFN)
- Carly Danesh Jones – autism advocate who has previously held
advisory roles with Heathrow Airport and East Midlands Rail
- Mary Doyle – coach who advises multinational companies on
inclusivity and accessibility policy
- Paul Finnegan – Chief Executive of suicide prevention charity
Lighthouse
- Dr Miro Griffiths – disability scholar at the University of
Leeds
- Prof Mari Martiskainen – Professor of Energy and Society at
Science Policy Research Unit within the University of Sussex
- Rachael Mole – consultant and advisor within accessibility
and people management
- Ruth Murran – english and drama teacher with life-long
experience of global travel
- Maral Nozratzadeh – postgraduate researcher at the University
of Leeds School of Law
- David Sindall – previously Head of Disability and Inclusion
for the Association of Train Operating Companies for 12 years
- Zamila Skingsley– former Cabinet Office Director
- Edward Trewhella – Chief Executive at Driving Mobility
DPTAC has
helped to inform DfT's work to improve transport
accessibility, including the Access For All programme which has
made over 260 train stations accessible, as well as the Aviation Accessibility
Task and Finish Group that was launched by DfT in November 2024.
It has also helped inform bus and coach policy, including the
Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023
that require operators of local bus and coach services to provide
information on the route, direction of travel and each upcoming
stop.
DPTAC
chair, Matthew Campbell-Hill, said:
I am delighted to welcome our new DPTAC
members, who bring a wealth of diverse experiences and expertise.
Their insights will be invaluable as we work together to remove
barriers and improve accessibility across our transport network.
By harnessing this collective knowledge, we can drive meaningful
change and ensure that transport truly works for everyone.
Existing member Sue Sharp, the former Chief Executive Officer of
the Royal Society for Blind Children, has also been appointed the
group's Deputy Chair.
Those appointed to DPTAC
serve terms of 2 to 3 years.
Under the Transport Act 1985, DPTAC's
membership should have between 10 and 20 members, excluding its
chair. These appointments bring DPTACs membership to a total of
17.
