Corporate report

DPTAC Main Committee meeting minutes 14 September 2021

Updated 13 February 2024

11am to 3pm, 29 September 2021.

Attendees

DPTAC: Keith Richards (Chair), Will Bee, Chris Price, Tanvi Vyas, Roger Mackett, Dave Partington, Matthew Smith, Mike Brace, Sharon Brennan, Niki Glazier, Helen Dolphin, Bryan Matthews.

Observers: Cabinet Office, Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS), Transport Scotland.

Welcome and introductions

DPTAC Chair welcomed all to the meeting and requested disclosure of any conflicts of interest:

• Keith Richards noted that he’s on the board of Transport Focus
• Helen Dolphin noted that she works for Network Rail
• Sharon Brennan noted that she works for Alzheimer’s UK

Apologies noted from Sue Sharp, David Mapp and Jessica Uguccioni.

Local transport accessibility

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (DfT) highlighted areas of importance in implementing the National Bus Strategy:

• that government works with local stakeholders to ensure the commitments work on the ground
• that the department ensures local transport authorities (LTAs) are aligned with the ambitions set out in the Bus Strategy – to do this, LTAs need to have the capacity and support to deliver the commitments
• that the government seeks out cross-modal policy to ensure bus services link-up with other transport modes
• that the PSVAR review is robust to ensure any future regulatory amendments are fit for purpose

DPTAC explained that more frequent and reliable services are the key to improving bus patronage and noted that Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) provide a key opportunity to implement changes to the public realm. The Minister noted that there is a need for greater communication between the service provider and the passenger, and guidance and funding will support LTAs in implementing their Local Transport Plans.

DPTAC highlighted that, disabled adults made 28% fewer trips than non-disabled adults in 2020. One key factor to tackle this is via consultation with the public. The Chair agreed that consultations are important, but there needs to be a mechanism to show that the results of the consultation have been factored into the outputs.

MACS noted the essential need to carry out equality impact assessments. The Minister agreed.

DPTAC noted that the review of the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) needs to be flexible as reviewing buses is anticipated to be easier than coaches. The Committee also welcomed the review of the Disabled Persons Bus Pass eligibility criteria, advising that this covers non-visible disabilities and that it should assess the impact of widening the times at which disabled people can travel using the Disabled Persons Bus Pass. The Minister noted that the department will work with DPTAC on these areas of work.

DPTAC highlighted the importance of audio-visual information on buses, and of ensuring that the regulations allow for passengers to raise complaints to ensure the equipment works. The Minister agreed that the technology should be reliable to provide a consistent service for all passengers.

Action: DPTAC Sponsor to provide DPTAC with recommendations on how it can support the department in advising on accessibility policies.

Action: DPTAC Secretariat to explore options for future engagement between DPTAC and the DfT Concessionary Travel Team for a detailed discussion on the review of the Disabled Persons Bus Pass.

National Disability Strategy

DfT noted that the National Disability Strategy (NDS) was published on 28 July. As such, the Disability Unit has transitioned to a delivery focus and are recruiting officials to support delivery of the NDS. They are setting up internal governance to keep track of the commitments in the NDS across departments.

The Disability Unit are launching a disability consultation, a review of disabled people’s organisations, and a communications campaign giving thought to the one-year on report.

DPTAC highlighted the importance of ensuring disabled children can travel to school with their peers. However, whilst DfT own the policy on PSVAR, the Department for Education (DfE) owns the policy on home-to-school transport more generally, so effective engagement between the 2 departments remains important.

DfT noted that the Disability Unit, as a team within the Cabinet Office, facilitates a joined-up approach across the aims and commitments of the Strategy.

Action: Secretariat to arrange engagement between DPTAC and the new Minister for the Disability Strategy.

DPTAC Priorities

DPTAC explained that DfT’s Accessible and Inclusive Travel Team (AIT) has been restructured and provided updates on new appointments.

Action: Secretariat to provide DPTAC with an updated organisational chart for AIT.

The Chair asked members what DPTAC should prioritise over the next year. In response members raised: rail station staffing, personal mobility, the drop in the number of licenced taxis/PHVs which may impact on Wheelchair Accessible vehicles in the market, accessibility of app driven micro-mobility, and accessibility of electric vehicles including charging infrastructure.

Other areas of focus included exploring whether there are shared outcomes for people with other protected characteristics beyond disability, such as safety; Disabled Persons Bus Pass; staff training; and the impact of dementia on transport.

Action: Coordination and Overview Group to collate priorities and the Chair to share the initial list with all members for input.

Non-Executive Director for DfT

The Non-Executive Director for DfT noted that the department needs to identify short, medium, and long-term goals for accessible transport. They advised that:

• the long-term goal should be to enable spontaneous travel
• the medium-term goal should be to ensure disabled people aren’t excluded from travel measures and policies before they’re implemented
• the short-term goal should be to understand the challenges and identify solutions for disabled people

The Non-Executive Director for DfT noted that there should be equipment and infrastructure to accommodate disabled people, and disabled people should have the opportunity to test these journeys and be comfortable in doing so. It was also noted that non-visible disabilities need a focus.

DfT noted that automated vehicles provide opportunities and the Non-Executive Director for DfT explained the importance of the design of automated vehicles and that from an accessibility perspective, they are part of the solution to provide independence.

DPTAC noted that access to adapted cycles is difficult, and there are practical implications for accessing and storing these. The Committee asked how the use of accessible bikes can be promoted in cycle hire schemes. The Non-Executive Director for DfT noted that there needs to be research to understand demand in order for scheme providers to invest in accessible bikes.

DfT asked how we can increase confidence for disabled people to access the transport network. The Non-Executive Director for DfT noted the importance of public awareness campaigns.

DPTAC noted that the rise in hate crimes has led to a lot of disabled people deciding not to use the transport network. The Non-Executive Director for DfT noted the importance of the media and showing good news stories.

Disability ambassadors

Caroline Eglington, the disability ambassador for the rail sector outlined her role which focusses on passenger experience and explained her objectives are to:

• embed the social model of disability in the rail industry
• ensure language is appropriate
• promote the importance of inclusive design
• promote the need for equality impact assessments

Ann Frye, the disability ambassador for aviation introduced herself and explained her priorities are to:

• understand how to measure success
• build confidence:
  • many people don’t understand their rights and there is a need for improved information during the booking process
  • there are many stories of poor management of the security process for disabled people
  • the duty-free area is brightly lit, noisy and poses stress for some disabled people
• reduce demand for special assistance for those who need it most, but to enhance the accessible offering for all passengers

Claire Walters, disability ambassador for the bus and coach industry and Chief Executive of Bus Users UK introduced herself and explained her priorities are to:

• ensure there are a core set of rights for passengers which both the passenger and the operator understand
• promote the phasing out of exemptions for PSVAR
• ensure there is more understanding of the needs of people with non-visible impairments
• promote the equitable use of public realm space away from the reliance of the private cars
• promote accessible charging points for electric vehicles

DPTAC highlighted some of the challenges for disabled passengers on aviation and rail, particularly noting with rail the difficulty in providing a seamless journey. Some stations have plenty of staff and facilities, yet other stations at the end of the journey are lacking. Network Rail is identifying the facilities at every station to prioritise where to improve facilities.

DPTAC noted that technology innovations can support disabled people’s access to the transport network. The Committee also noted the importance of redress. The disability ambassador for the bus and coach industry mentioned that bus and coach operators are legally required to point customers to ADR services if a customer isn’t satisfied with the outcome of their complaint.

Action: DPTAC and disability ambassador for bus and coach industry to discuss the impact of the Bus Strategy on disabled people in a separate meeting.

DPTAC members and the disability and access ambassadors also discussed the role and efficacy of training in supporting the understanding of transport staff, and access to services for users.

Next meeting

The next DPTAC Main Meeting will be on 7 December.