Last week, the National Centre for Accessible Transport (ncat) published the Accessible Transport Policy Commission's first inquiry report, calling for joined up policymaking in the UK and devolved governments. The launch event, chaired by Richard Baker MP, and addressed by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson was attended by over 100 people.
Joined up policies, joined up journeys: Roadmapping Accessible Transport for the UK and devolved goverments examines how accessibility of all modes of transport is governed across the UK.
Our transport systems routinely exclude disabled people. Research by ncat shows 92% of disabled people face barriers using at least one form of transport, and according to the Motability Foundation, disabled people make 38% fewer journeys than non-disabled people.
Inaccessible transport has large societal consequences, preventing disabled people from engaging with their communities and contributing their talents, skills and perspectives. Transport inaccessibility undermines policymaking by limiting access to employment, housing, health, and society altogether.
With ministers in Whitehall, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Stormont each developing major new transport strategies, our report provides a practical plan to break down barriers that prevent disabled people from participating fully in society. We call on policymakers to grasp this opportunity to embed accessibility into policymaking and coordinate these efforts within and between the nations.
What did the inquiry do?
The inquiry sought insight from over 700 stakeholders across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the majority of whom were disabled. The Commission held a UK-wide call for evidence and five policy roundtables, chaired by Parliamentarians, focusing on each of the four nations and regulation. We heard from Disabled People's Organisations, disability charities, government transport departments, policymakers, transport professionals, and regulators.
What did the inquiry find?
Findings of the inquiry outline systemic problems in how UK transport is governed. These lead to disabled people and their needs and aspirations being overlooked in decision making processes. Across the UK, barriers to transport are caused by fragmented governance, lack of integration between transport modes, inconsistent accessible transport standards, and ineffective regulation.
What does the inquiry recommend?
To address these issues, the report proposes five-year national roadmaps for policymakers in the UK and each of the devolved governments. These are based on four principles: joined-up policymaking, stronger enforcement, true coproduction with disabled people at every stage, and integrated systems.
Coordinated and Coproduced Accessible Transport Frameworks
Each government should work with disabled people and their organisations to coproduce a cross-departmental accessible transport framework. The causes of inaccessible transport extend well beyond transport policy: from the way benefits systems work to how disabled people are supported to succeed in the workplace. We urge governments to set up ministerial taskforces to coordinate on their development and implementation.
The coordination of accessibility frameworks for transport strategies should also be done between the nations. Nations should share best practice, identify gaps, and work towards eliminating the postcode lottery for access to transport. We recommend the establishment of a Disability Transport Taskforce through the UK's Council of Nations and Regions - a forum that already exists to bring together senior leaders and officials from across the country.
UK-wide Accessible Transport Standards
A key starting point would be to achieve consistent and robust accessible transport standards. Our inquiry identified that the transport industry lacks accessible service and infrastructure design standards, which makes it hard for decision makers to embed accessibility into new and existing provision. Ed Wills, the Managing Director of Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company Ltd outlined the need for a national framework or guidance on the accessibility of bus stops.
The inquiry recommends that the UK's Department for Transport establish an Accessible Transport Standards Commission, which the devolved administrations would be invited to join. The Commission would collaborate with industry and disabled people to fill these gaps with a new set of UK-wide standards which would be continually refreshed as transport technology and services evolve.
Strengthening the regulation of transport accessibility
Our stakeholders made it clear that standards cannot be successful without effective regulation. We recommend that regulators are given greater powers and resources to monitor and enforce accessibility standards. Regulators must also be held to account through transparency measures.
What does this mean for transport providers?
Accessibility standards would allow for providers to embed accessibility from the beginning and avoiding often costly retrofitting. Accessibility is a matter of equality, but it is also a measure of efficiency: seamless, inclusive journeys benefit all passengers. With governments reviewing strategies, and operators investing in infrastructure, this is the time to ensure accessibility is built into every decision.
You can read the full report and access its summary, British Sign Language, and Easy Read versions through the ncat website.
For any inquiries about the report, please get in touch with the author Gurur Deniz Uyanık ([email protected]).
About the National Centre for Accessible Transport
Contact Details:
The National Centre for Accessible Transport (ncat) [email protected]
About ncat The National Centre for Accessible Transport (ncat) provides high-quality, human-centred evidence, insights, and tried and tested solutions. ncat is the first evidence centre to consider the transport system as a whole, to create an evidence base that inspires others to develop solutions for accessible travel that works for everyone.
This evidence will inform policy and strategy, and influence investment decisions by government, transport operators, and providers of mobility services. ncat's work is fully rooted in the realities of the lived experiences of disabled people and stakeholders who inform and help prioritise our work. ncat defines its research priorities and then commissions projects in conjunction with external organisations to address the barriers to transport faced by disabled people.
ncat is being funded by the Motability Foundation, with the aim of providing the evidence base to close the transport accessibility gap.
About the Accessible Transport Policy Commission The Accessible Transport Policy Commission is part of the National Centre for Accessible Transport (ncat) and works to remove barriers to transport for disabled people across the UK.
The Commission holds meetings in Parliament to bring together Parliamentarians, disabled people, transport professionals and policymakers from the national, regional, local and devolved levels of government to improve public policies and everyday practices. It does this by applying evidence and insights from ncat and a wide range of other experts through roundtable discussions, research symposiums and cross-sector meetings.
The Commission is chaired by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE DL (Crossbench) and convened on a cross-party basis with Parliamentarians from both Houses.
Baroness Grey-Thompson is joined on the Commission by a number of vice-chairs:
· Lord Shinkwin (Conservative Party)
· Baroness Brinton (Liberal Democrat Party)
· Zarah Sultana, MP for Coventry South (Independent)
· Sorcha Eastwood, MP for Lagan Valley (Alliance Party)
· Richard Baker, MP for Glenrothes and Mid Fife (Labour Party)
The Commission's secretariat is provided by the cross-party think tank Policy Connect.
