Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) Lambeth Council's kerbside strategy and (2) the merits of supporting other local authorities to produce kerbside strategies.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government has made no such assessment. The Department’s street design guidance Manual for Streets includes a hierarchy that puts consideration of the needs of people walking and cycling first. Kerbside strategies are one tool available to local authorities to help manage their roads in line with this hierarchy and with the wider principles of the Manual, to achieve their local objectives. Local authorities are encouraged to share good practice with each other.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support local authorities to establish access panels for disabled people to contribute to transport policy making, following the model used in Scotland.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Sustrans Transforming Mobility Report highlights how paid access panels could be one means by which local transport authorities engage with disabled people to shape, review, and monitor transport policies and projects, so that accessibility is embedded from the start of projects.
This recommendation is aimed at local leaders, who know their communities and are best placed to make decisions about how they can improve local transport for disabled people. Improving accessibility is a collaborative effort, with operators, industry, and local authorities having key parts to play – alongside the support of all passengers. Breaking down barriers to opportunity is a core mission statement for this government and that is why we are developing an Integrated National Transport Strategy to enable us to better work with partners across the transport sector to deliver a network that works for all passengers.
More widely, the government is committed to improving public transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. The Bus Services (No.2) Bill, introduced by the government on 17 December is intended to ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them and includes measures which will make bus travel more accessible and inclusive. In addition, on 1 October 2024, the first phase of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 came into force, meaning that newer vehicles providing local services must provide audible and visible information on stops, destinations and diversions. The majority of services will need to comply by October 2026.
Ensuring the rail network is accessible is at the heart of our passenger-focused approach to improving rail services. We are committed to improving the experience for disabled passengers and have committed to publishing an accessibility roadmap to explain the actions we are taking to improve accessibility ahead of the establishment of Great British Rail.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) social, and (2) economic, impact of poor transport links on young people on low incomes.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
The Government is taking action to ensure young people can access work, leisure, education and apprenticeship opportunities, regardless of where they live. We have consistently invested in public transport to help make services more frequent, more reliable, cheaper and easier to use.
The Department undertakes a range of research to help inform our policy making and gives due consideration to the travel needs, behaviours and experiences of different groups, including young people. We are committed to meeting the obligations of the Public Sector Equality Duty, including giving due consideration to the needs of different age cohorts.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish a response to the Managing pavement parking consultation, which ran from 31 August 2020 to 22 November 2020; and what assessment they have made of the merits of a ban on pavement parking to make it easier for those with a disability to walk or wheel on pavements.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Department consulted on measures to address pavement parking in 2020 and the options included a nationwide pavement parking ban. The consultation received over 15,000 responses. We have been considering all views expressed, including from those with walking impairments or using a wheelchair. Ministers are reviewing the outcome of the consultation and the options for tackling pavement parking so that the best possible conclusion for all road users can be reached. We will publish the formal consultation response and announce next steps as soon as possible.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the views of disabled people are represented in transport policy decisions.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Department for Transport (DfT) officials engage regularly with stakeholders representing disabled people.
The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) is the Department’s expert statutory advisor on the transport needs of disabled people. Involving DPTAC from the earliest stages of policy development helps us to ensure our policies deliver for disabled people.
The Inclusive Transport Stakeholder Group (ITSG), which includes members from local government, transport operators, disabled people’s organisations and charities, acts as a sounding board to the Department as it develops and delivers policy on inclusive transport, drawing on the experience of Disabled People’s Organisations and transport partners.