Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will implement the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 in relation to reasonable adjustments and accessible transport for disabled people.

The Government’s approach to improving disabled people’s access to public transport was set out in the 2018 Inclusive Transport Strategy. A summary of the progress made in implementing the Strategy was published in July 2019. More recently, the Secretary of State has declared his ambition to go further and measures will be set out in due course.

The transport provisions in the Equality Act continue to make a significant difference to the lives of disabled people, by helping them to travel independently. The Act has helped ensure, among other things, that the great majority of buses and trains are accessible, and has prevented taxi and private hire drivers from charging passengers extra or refusing them service because they use an assistance dog or wheelchair. The Department will keep under review the possibility of commencing those sections of Part 12 of the Equality Act that are not yet in force.