Public Transport: Disability

(asked on 22nd September 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that disabled passengers are aware of their rights on public transport.


Answered by
Chris Heaton-Harris Portrait
Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
This question was answered on 18th October 2021

The Department is committed to ensuring disabled passengers are aware of their rights when using public transport. Our Inclusive Transport Strategy commits us to ensuring all operators across all modes of public transport provide information on passenger rights. Good progress has been made but we know there is still more we and the transport sector can do.

For the aviation sector, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) provides information on the rights for disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility on their website and has worked with airports and airlines to improve the accessibility contents on their websites.

As part of train operating company (TOC) licences we require each TOC to have an Accessible Travel Policy (ATP) setting out the level of services and facilities disabled passengers can expect, how to get staff assistance and how to get help if things go wrong.

For Maritime, passengers must be informed of their rights when making a booking and these passenger rights details must be provided on posters displayed at ports and on board vessels.

Our National Bus Strategy requires local authorities to produce Bus Service Improvement Plans which must include Passenger Charters providing information on what passengers can expect when using their services.

Reticulating Splines