Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve accessibility of public transport for visually impaired people.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This government is committed to improving transport public services, so they are more inclusive and enable people with visual impairments to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all.
Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. Through the Act, we are helping authorities to provide safer and more accessible bus stations and stops and mandating more streamlined disability training for bus drivers and frontline staff. We are also requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publishing of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan.
The government recognises the concerns which have been raised about floating bus stops. On 20 November I wrote to all local traffic authorities in England requesting that they put on hold designs which require people to board or alight directly from or into a cycle track. The Act requires the Secretary of State to publish statutory guidance on their provision and design within three months of Royal Assent, drafting of which is underway.
We are also continuing the implementation of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations (AIR), which will require audible and visible destination and next stop information on board most local bus services by October 2026.
Ensuring the rail network is also 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 that is why we have published a roadmap to an accessible railway. It sets out what we are doing now to improve the day-to-day travelling experience for disabled passengers in the lead up to Great British Railways being established. We have installed platform edge tactile paving at every station in England with the final station in Scotland due to be complete next month. The final Welsh station, currently closed for refurbishment, will have them installed when it reopens in April.
We are also committed to developing an Accessible Travel Charter. The Charter is a commitment to a shared vision for accessible travel. It will set out what disabled travellers can expect from their journeys, share best practice across organisations and create consistency in end-to-end journeys for disabled travellers.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what measures are in place to ensure that assistance services in rail stations for disabled and vulnerable passengers remain functional during significant service disruptions.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All train and station operators are required, under their Accessible Travel Policy, to provide assistance to disabled and vulnerable passengers during periods of disruption. This includes, where appropriate, the provision of alternative accessible transport.
Operators must set out in their Accessible Travel Policy how they will communicate with passengers and deliver assistance during disruption, including for those who have booked help in advance. These policies are approved and monitored by the Office of Rail and Road.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her department is taking to make transports systems more easily accessible for people with sight loss, to allow them to travel independently and spontaneously.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government is committed to improving transport services so they are more inclusive and enable people with sight loss to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all.
Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. Through the Act, we are helping authorities to provide safer and more accessible bus stations and stops and mandating more streamlined disability training for bus drivers and frontline staff. We are also requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publishing of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan.
The government recognises the concerns which have been raised about floating bus stops, particularly. On 20 November I wrote to all local traffic authorities in England requesting that they put on hold designs which require people to board or alight directly from or into a cycle track. The Act requires the Secretary of State to publish statutory guidance on their provision and design within three months of Royal Assent, drafting of which is underway.
We are also continuing the implementation of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations (AIR), which will require audible and visible destination and next stop information on board most local bus services by October 2026.
Ensuring the rail network is also 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 that is why we have published a roadmap to an accessible railway. It sets out what we are doing now to improve the day-to-day travelling experience for disabled passengers in the lead up to Great British Railways being established. We have installed platform edge tactile paving at every station in England with the final station in Scotland due to be complete next month. The final Welsh station, currently closed for refurbishment, will have them installed when it reopens in April.
We are also committed to developing an Accessible Travel Charter. The Charter is a commitment to a shared vision for accessible travel. It will set out what disabled travellers can expect from their journeys, share best practice across organisations and create consistency in end-to-end journeys for disabled travellers.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps are being taken to improve transport accessibility for people with disabilities in smaller stations.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Whenever the rail industry installs, replaces or renews station infrastructure, this needs to comply with current accessibility standards. We have also continued to fund the Access for All programme, which has delivered more than 270 accessible routes at stations and smaller improvements at around 1500 stations, including many smaller and rural stations. We have also installed platform edge tactile paving at all stations across Britain, to aid visually impaired passengers.
Asked by: Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support access to (a) public transport and (b) mobility schemes for people with epilepsy who are unable to drive.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government wants everyone to have access to reliable and affordable public transport, and we appreciate how important this is for people who are unable to drive.
We are committed to improving bus services, so they are more inclusive and enable everyone to travel safely and confidently. In December last year, the government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill which includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local bus services. From safer and more accessible bus stops and stations, to more comprehensive disability training for drivers and frontline staff and a new requirement for local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks, the Bill will help ensure that local bus services better meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including disabled people who are unable to drive.
The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free bus travel in England, to those of state pension age and those with eligible disabilities between 9:30 and 23:00 on weekdays, and all day at weekends and bank holidays. Those who would, if they applied for a driving licence, have their application refused on the grounds of medical fitness, are eligible for an ENCTS bus pass.
The government also has ambitious plans to reform the rail sector, unifying track and train under one organisation. The cornerstone of the Government’s plan for rail reform is to establish Great British Railways (GBR), a publicly owned arm’s length body charged with running Britain’s railways in the public interest. GBR will be a new, publicly owned company with accountable, integrated leadership across track and train, sitting at the heart of the reformed rail sector. This will help drive a more consistent passenger experience ensuring a relentless focus on high performance and service standards for Britain’s railways.
Accessibility is one of the Government’s six priorities for the railway and will be central to GBR. To support this, the Railways Bill includes legal requirements relating to accessibility that will ensure that the interests of passengers, including those with accessibility needs, will be a fundamental part of decision-making on the railways.
We are already taking action ahead of the establishment of GBR to make rail travel easier and more reliable for disabled passengers, including investing over £10 million in upgrades to the Passenger Assist Scheme which supports disabled passengers and those with additional needs to use the rail network with confidence and in safety. We have improved information about the facilities available to provide support to passengers at stations and will be publishing a rail accessibility roadmap which sets out the actions we are taking to make the railway more accessible ahead of GBR being established.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that disabled people have access to all modes of public transport on every day of the week.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government wants everyone to have access to accessible and reliable public transport every day of the week.
We are committed to improving bus services, so they are more inclusive and enable everyone to travel safely and confidently. In December last year, the government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill which includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local bus services. From safer and more accessible bus stops and stations to more comprehensive disability training for drivers and frontline staff and a new requirement for local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks.
In addition, the government has confirmed over £1 billion for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services and keep fares affordable, including £712 million for local authorities. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, protect crucial bus routes and make sure bus infrastructure is accessible.
The government also has ambitious plans to reform the rail sector, unifying track and train under one organisation. The cornerstone of the Government’s plan for rail reform is to establish Great British Railways (GBR), a publicly owned arm’s length body charged with running Britain’s railways in the public interest. Accessibility is one of the Government’s six priorities for the railway and will be central to GBR. To support this, the Railways Bill includes legal requirements relating to accessibility that will ensure that the interests of passengers, including those with accessibility needs, will be a fundamental part of decision-making on the railways.
We are already taking action ahead of the establishment of GBR to make rail travel easier and more reliable for disabled passengers, including investing over £10 million in upgrades to the Passenger Assist Scheme which supports disabled passengers and those with additional needs to use the rail network with confidence and in safety. We have improved information about the facilities available to provide support to passengers at stations and will be publishing a rail accessibility roadmap which sets out the actions we are taking to make the railway more accessible.
The Department also published the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group’s independent report on 16 July 2025. The report sets out 19 recommendations to improve aviation accessibility across the consumer journey. The Group will continue its work to help industry to implement the recommendations.
We are also currently developing a plan for an Accessible Travel Charter which aims to empower disabled voices in establishing clear, unified principles that guide passengers, and assists operators and enforcement bodies in upholding accessibility standards. The Charter aims to set out what disabled travellers can expect from their journeys.
Asked by: Lola McEvoy (Labour - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department has taken to help ensure that people who are deemed medically unfit to drive have appropriate access to alternative modes of transport.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government wants everyone to have access to reliable and affordable public transport, and we appreciate how important this is for people who are unable to drive.
The government is committed to improving bus services, so they are more inclusive and enable everyone to travel safely and confidently. The government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill will put passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of the industry by putting the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England.
In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities. The government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in this Spending Review by confirming additional funding per year from 26/27 to maintain and improve bus services.
The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) also provides free bus travel in England, to those of state pension age and those with eligible disabilities between 9:30 to 23:00 on weekdays, and all day at weekends and Bank Holidays. Those who would, if they applied for a driving licence, have their application refused on the grounds of medical fitness, are eligible for an ENCTS bus pass.
The government also has ambitious plans to reform the rail sector, unifying track and train under one organisation. Great British Railways will be the single ‘directing mind’ for the railway, putting passengers and customers first, rebuilding trust in the railway and simplifying the industry. We are also continuing to improve access to stations through our Access for All programme. Train operating companies also provide staff assistance and alternative transport for anyone unable to use a station.
If someone has a disability that makes travelling by train difficult, they may qualify for a Disabled Persons Railcard, which offers one third off rail travel for the person and an adult companion. Details of eligibility can be found at www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to fund a disability access lift at Teignmouth railway station.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are committed to the Access for All programme, which has delivered accessible routes at more than 270 stations. Teighmouth station was not selected by the previous Government for the programme, but the station already has an accessible route, and if any passenger is unable to use the station GWR will provide assistance or alternative transport at no additional cost.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the (a) adequacy of disability access at train stations in Newton Abbot constituency and (b) potential impact of removing customer service assistants at railway stations on disabled residents.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are committed to enhancing railway accessibility for all, including those in the Newton Abbey constituency with disabilities. As part of the ongoing Spending Review, we are assessing public spending and cannot comment on individual schemes until the process concludes this Summer.
Rail operators, under their license conditions and Accessible Travel Policy, must participate in the Passenger Assist scheme, ensuring disabled passengers and those with additional needs can travel safely and with confidence.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the railway stations in London are fully wheelchair accessible; and what plans they have to increase that number.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
There are currently 137 railway stations with step free access between the entrance/ exit and platforms in Greater London (this excludes those operated by Transport for London). Since April 2024, the Access for All programme has delivered step free access at 25 stations across Britain, with Newtown station in Powys being one of the most recent. This Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.