Work aimed at improving accessible toilets on the railways,
ensuring better use of Blue Badges and trials in autonomous
vehicles are among measures to improve transport for people with
disabilities, announced today (24 August 2017).
The draft accessibility action
plan, published today, is the next step in the government’s
commitment to removing barriers for millions of disabled people
to be able to travel independently and confidently.
The Department for Transport is now consulting on the plan to
seek views and ideas on how to best improve accessibility on
roads, rail, water and in the air.
Transport Minister , who launched the plan in
Leeds, said:
I take the issue of accessibility across all modes of transport
very seriously.
This draft accessibility action plan is the next step in a much
needed dialogue with disabled people, carers, transport
providers and local authorities to identify new ways to improve
travel.
It sets out the government’s strategy to address gaps in our
transport services which serve as a barrier to people with
disabilities.
I secured commitments from the rail industry earlier this year
to help make things better for disabled people. It is
absolutely vital that all people are able use transport.
From October, a pilot study will explore opportunities to
increase the availability of accessible toilets on trains and
improve their reliability through better tanking facilities.
The department is also working with the Rail Delivery Group to
provide ‘alternative journey options’ – for example, if the only
accessible toilet is out of use.
A competition will be launched jointly with the Rail Safety and
Standards Board, to find solutions to reducing the cost of
accessibility improvements at stations, including the
availability of accessible toilets. It will also focus on
supporting people with less visible disabilities.
The action plan also commits to reviewing Blue Badge eligibility
for those with non-physical disabilities.
Improvements could be made so that the criteria is more
consistently applied across the country.
In addition, the Bus Services Act
2017 includes powers to require bus operators to provide
audio-visual route and next stop announcements on board their
services, of particular benefit to people with impaired vision or
hearing.
Keith Richards, Chair of the Disabled Persons Transport
Advisory Committee, said:
DPTAC welcomes
the launch of this accessibility action plan consultation. It
supports our vision that disabled people must have the same
access to transport as everybody else, to be able to go where
everyone else goes and to do so easily, confidently and without
extra cost.
A focus on the future and a commitment to clear actions are key
drivers for change and improvement in access to transport and
the built environment in which it operates – for all disabled
people. We will continue to hold the department to account
after publication of the plan.
The government is also working in other sectors to improve
accessibility.
As part of our ambitious aviation strategy, for
example, we are consulting on how to improve the experience of
disabled passengers both in airports and on flights.
For autonomous vehicles, the government’s centre
for Connected and Autonomous
Vehicles (CCAV) is working to
secure the safety, socioeconomic, and industrial benefits for
the UK – and this
includes improving access to mobility for all.
For example, CCAV is joint
funding a number of exciting real-world trials of connected and
autonomous technologies in cars, shuttles, and pods, which are
actively exploring how people with mobility impairment can
benefit.
