Disabled passengers will have better access to public transport
and a bigger say in how they travel, under a new strategy which
will boost inclusivity across the entire network.
The Department for Transport is today (Wednesday 28th of July)
unveiling a range of initiatives to remove barriers and improve
confidence for disabled people as they return to trains, buses
and taxis after the pandemic.
An audit of all UK train stations, originally pledged in the
Williams-Shapps Plan for
Rail, is now underway – helping to identify improvements
and highlighting existing areas of excellence. The findings
will form a new public database so people can better plan their
journeys and, along with input from disabled passengers, will
shape future investment in accessible rail travel.
DfT will also work with Network Rail to improve safety with a
new programme to install all station platforms with tactile
paving. This comes on top of work to develop a Passenger Assist App
to simplify communication with rail staff and encourage better
customer service.
The Government will bring forward new regulations to force bus
companies to provide audible and visual announcements on board
services. To help smaller companies achieve this, Government
grants will be boosted to £3.5m. New research into the designs
of bus-stops and stations will ensure they are accessible for
all.
The Department will also support new legislation for taxis and
private hire vehicles, protecting disabled passengers from
being overcharged and to better ensure they get the right help
from drivers.
Accessibility Minister, ,
said:
"Disabled passengers should be empowered to use all forms of
transport with the same confidence as everyone else – whether
by taxi, train, bus or ferry.
"Today’s measures will have a positive, real-life impact and
double-down on our promise to building back fairer from
Covid."
There is also a boost to seaports, with new £1million funding
to improve access at ports to the Isle of Wight and Isles of
Scilly.
In addition, the Department will work with consumer groups to
design more accessible chargepoints for Electric Vehicles, as
the industry steers away from fuel burning cars.
Alongside local authorities, DfT will work to reduce parking on
pavements to de-clutter our streets and free up paths, so
vulnerable pedestrians can make journeys more safely and
easily. An announcement on next steps will be made later this
year.
And for longer journeys, new £450,000 funding will help deliver
more accessible toilets, through the Changing Places
programme, on top of the £2.2 million already invested, to
ensure most motorway services have the right facilities for the
quarter of a million people who cannot use standard accessible
ones.
, chief
executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus,
said:
“It’s important that transport operators seek the views of
disabled people to make sure services better suit their needs
as the country recovers from the pandemic.
“These measures will help remove barriers and improve access
for all transport users.”
Robert Burley, Director of Campaigns, Care and
Support at Muscular Dystrophy UK, said:
“We regularly hear from people living with muscle-wasting
conditions who have had to cancel or cut short days out, or
don’t consider them at all, because of poor accessibility.
“The strategy announced today is a step in the right
direction to helping tackle the exclusion that so many
disabled people face on a daily basis.”
The measures are part of the Government’s National Disability
Strategy – the most ambitious endeavour to remove barriers to
disabled people’s everyday lives. It makes solid commitments
and sets out immediate practical steps to create a society that
works for everyone. These include building more supported
housing, providing £300m to improve accessibility in schools
and improving access to cultural venues.
It follows the “It’s everyone’s
journey” campaign, launched in 2020 to champion equal
access across all forms of public transport and encourage
people to be more considerate and supportive of others when
using the transport network.
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