The government must work harder to improve accessibility for disabled people across the nation’s transport networks,
warned the Transport Committee in a wide ranging report, Access to transport for disabled people. Launching the report, Louise Ellman, chair of the Transport
Committee, said: ‘In the UK some 11.5 million people already live with a recognised disability and more than a fifth of them experience some difficulty when using transport networks. So it’s essential that the Department for Transport delivers an ambitious accessibility action plan. ‘Changes made ahead of the 2012 Paralympic Games delivered access for disabled people to significantly more parts of the public transport network for the first time and highlighted the immense value of such improvements for all. ‘Yet a year later, there is a risk that some of the momentum
from London 2012 is being lost because further key accessibility improvements planned by the DfT are being watered-down or abandoned. ‘On the rail network, disabled travellers should not have
to book organised assistance in advance, so over time this requirement should be phased out by every train operator,’ said Ellman. Including disabled people in developing new rail infrastructure should be another key ambition according to the committee, and the DfT must ensure their needs are central
to prioritising and developing schemes for the next wave of Access for All railway improvements. ‘Making physical improvements to stations also doesn’t take away from the importance of having staffed stations to help all travellers make safe and secure journeys,’ added Ellman. MPs heard evidence of low awareness among disabled people
of Transport Direct, the DfT’s journey-planning web portal, which has recently been upgraded to enable the planning of accessible journeys. The report recommends a targeted marketing campaign to raise awareness and increase the number of people using the service.
The committee welcomed the DfT’s support for disabled travel
training, but is concerned at the lack of funding available for the set-up of such schemes, which are often self-financing following an initial investment by a local authority. The report calls for local authorities to include such schemes in future bids to the Local Sustainable Travel Fund.
The one millionth
To find your way to the best signage solution come to Wood & Wood Signs
tonne of earth to travel by rail has left Crossrail’s tunnel entrance at Westbourne Park in west London. The 55 million year-old earth has come from the construction of Crossrail’s western tunnels between Royal Oak and Farringdon. Over the past 15 months, more than 860 train loads of excavated material has been transported to Northfleet in Kent by GB Railfreight. The material is then transferred by ship and transported to a new nature reserve at Wallasea Island in Essex.
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