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Making transport more accessible to all

March 11, 2013 7:37 PM
By Norman Baker MP in https://www.gov.uk/government/policies
Originally published by LDDA - The Liberal Democrat Disability Association

Issue

Transport should be easy for everyone to use. Making sure that access to buses, coaches, trains and taxis is hassle-free for all will reduce the number of car journeys and therefore help to reduce carbon emissions.

Actions

Accessible transport for all

To make transport more accessible, the government:

  • provides guidance and funding for community and voluntary transport used by disabled and elderly people
  • requires by law that bus and coach operators make their vehicles accessible for disabled people, including wheelchair users
  • requires taxis and private hire vehicles to make their vehicles accessible for disabled people, including wheelchair users and those with guide dogs, through the Equality Act 2010
  • is working to make trains more accessible (for more details on our future plans for trains see Expanding and improving the rail network)

Blue Badge scheme

The Blue Badge scheme helps those with severe mobility problems who have difficulty using public transport to park close to where they need to go. To make it clearer who is entitled to a badge, the government has changed the process for assessing who should get a Blue Badge in line with the wider reform of disability benefits.

Background

The Equality Act 2010 states that transport must be accessible to all, regardless of any disability. It also requires government policies on accessible transport to be based on this act.

The government commissioned a detailed study of how voluntary and community transport operates in the UK.

To shape this policy, we used economic and statistical analysis, appraisal, evaluation, modelling and research.

Who we've consulted

The government ran a consultation on 'Personal Independence Payment and Eligibility for a Blue Badge'. This consultation asked for people's opinions on the options we have for dealing with the impact on the Blue Badge scheme from the government's changes to the welfare system.

The government also ran a consultation on what arrangements should be put in place if the Disabled Persons Transport Committee (DPTAC) were abolished:

Bills and legislation

Buses and coaches

The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) cover all new buses and coaches brought into service since 31 December 2000, which carry more than 22 passengers and are used to provide a local or scheduled service:

The Blue Badge scheme

The Blue Badge scheme began on 1 December 1971 as part of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. There have been numerous amendments to the scheme since then but the current governing legislation is contained within these documents: