MACS - Draft Just Transition Plan Formal Response - May 2025

Submitted to Draft Just Transition Plan for Transport

Submitted on 2025-05-06 13:56:18

Vision and outcomes for transport (Part 1 of 6)

1. Do the draft outcomes reflect what the Plan should be aiming to achieve?

Outcomes radio - I understand the draft outcomes:

Agree

Outcomes radio - The draft outcomes reflect what the Plan should be aiming to achieve:

Is anything missing from the draft outcomes in the Plan? (optional):

Due to our remit, we are particularly focussed on outcome 10. It is fine as it stands, but the problem is there is virtually nothing that flows from it in the plan. The plan needs to include a) what action is going to be taken to make transport more accessible to disabled passengers, and b) where disabled people need to be exempt from action to create just transition, as they are with Low Emission Zoes for instance.

2. Please look at the draft Transport Just Transition Plan, and tell us whether you agree or disagree with the following statements.

Plan structure - The Plan is easy to understand:

Disagree

Plan structure - The Plan is easy to use:

Disagree

Plan structure - The information in the Plan is helpful:

Disagree

Plan structure - The information in the Plan is relevant to me:

Disagree

Plan structure - The Plan is accessible to me:

Disagree

Please give us any comments below (optional):

Too long and wordy and jargon-filled.

3. Are you involved in any type of organised group which considers how the transport system is changing, or could change in future?

Yes

Name of group (optional):

Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland

How could existing transport groups consider just transition issues? (optional):

They need to look at it from the perspective of disabled travellers, a disadvantaged group that finds it harder to travel at present and whose view is under-represented in the draft plan.

People and communities (Part 2 of 6)

4. Are there any gaps in our priority actions to support people and communities in the transition of the transport sector?

Yes

If yes, please comment here:

There needs to be more reference to improving and measuring improving accessibility across all modes. There is frequent reference to the disadvantages of those in remote rural areas and their inability to use public transport, but exactly the same issue applies to disabled people and this is not referenced.

5. Which of the priorities we have set out in the draft Plan do you think would be most helpful for people like you to reduce how often, or how far, they drive in a private car?

People and communities priorities radio - More access to online services so people don't need to travel unnecessarily.: Helpful

People and communities priorities radio - Access to ‘car clubs’which allow people to hire a car or van for shorter trips.: Helpful

People and communities priorities radio - Availability of demand responsive transport for some areas for example dial-a-bus services.: Helpful

People and communities priorities radio - Better use of space for active travel and public transport.:

Helpful

People and communities priorities radio - Increasing costs to make driving a less attractive option in some circumstances, especially where there will be other benefits such as reducing pollution and congestion.:

Very unhelpful Comment (optional):

1. Car clubs etc don't generally have vehicles adapted for disabled
2. Demand-responsive transport can be very good if accessible to disabled
3. Active travel facilities need to be designed with disabled travellers in mind, g. allow wheeling and adaptive bikes.

6. Does the draft Plan take all groups in society into account in setting out a vision for a future transport system for people and communities?

People and Communities: Impacts on Groups - The Plan considers the impacts of decarbonising transport on all groups in our society: Strongly disagree

People and Communities: Impacts on Groups - The Plan considers the impacts of decarbonising transport on people like me: Strongly disagree

Comment (optional):

As outlined in Q1, the Plan does not adequately consider the impacts on disabled people and therefore does not consider the impacts of decarbonising transport on people like me.

7. Is there anything else you would like to see in the draft Plan for people who are more likely to face challenges accessing affordable, convenient and safe travel options?

Please add your response below.:

There needs to be a whole range of actions to improve disabled access to public transport to allow disabled people to contribute to a just transition. This would include everything from the design of new ferries, level boarding on trains, the acceleration of step-free access at stations, improved access to buses and long-distance coaches, audible prompts for stops on buses etc etc etc. To be fair, some of this is happening, but it is not referenced here. This activity needs to be co-designed with disabled people and there need to be regular accessibility audits to measure progress.

8. Which of the following principles do you think should be the most important to guide the development of a fair system of payment, to deliver a just transition to net zero in Scotland?

Not Answered

Additional comments (optional):

No comment.

Workers (Part 3 of 6)

9. Are there any gaps in our priority actions to support workers in the transition of the transport sector

Yes

If yes, please comment here:

There is inadequate reference to increasing the number of disabled workers in the transport sector. It should also incude training transport workers in disability awareness and accessibility standards.

10. How important are the following actions to make transport jobs more attractive to people who are not as likely to work in the sector, such as women and younger people?

Workers Priorities radio importance - Programmes which encourage women and girls to enter science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) courses at school and college or university.:

Workers Priorities radio importance - Actions to promote diversity and inclusion within the industry, including workplace culture changes.: Very important

Workers Priorities radio importance - Actions that address existing pay gaps for certain groups.:

Workers Priorities radio importance - Actions to increase access to childcare.:

Workers Priorities radio importance - Other (please specify).:

Other::

1. Initiatives to encourage recruitment of disabled workers into the transport
2. Accessible workplace practices in the transport sector

11. Actions to improve diversity in the transport sector would be most effective if they were mostly led by:

Don't know

12. Does the summary of priorities for workers in the draft Just Transition Plan address future workforce and skills challenges you expect to have, as the transport sector decarbonises?

Future priorities ranking - The draft priorities for workers will address future skills challenges.:

Future priorities ranking - The draft priorities for workers will address transport workforce diversity.:

Future priorities ranking - The draft priorities will encourage new entrants to the transport workforce.:

Comment (optional):

no comment.

Businesses and organisations (Part 4 of 6)

13. Are there any gaps in our approach to setting out opportunities and priorities for businesses and other organisations in the transition of the transport sector?

Yes

If yes, please comment here:

1. The need for accessible EVs, particularly in taxi and public transport fleets - local community groups who have tried to purchase accessible lectric vehicles find none are available.
2. In centives to support disabled passengers in EV transition - Motobility has a big role
3. Design standards fro EV charging infrastructure that ensures it is fully accessible/usable by disabled

14. What does just transition planning mean for your organisation or industry?

Business: just transition planning - A just transition for the transport sector is important:

Business: just transition planning - Just Transition planning is important for my organisation:

Business: just transition planning - Just Transition planning is happening in my organisation:

Business: just transition planning - My organisation needs more support for just transition planning:

Please tell us more about just transition planning in your organisation (optional):

Not relevant.

Is your sector/organisation doing something others could learn from? (optional) :

15. Which of the following priorities would you consider to be most important to enable you to transition your vehicles to zero emission alternatives?

Business priority ranking - Access to low-cost finance:

Business priority ranking - Cost of replacement vehicles needs to come down: Business priority ranking - Technology for replacing vehicles needs to be proven:

Business priority ranking - Mechanisms to work with other businesses on fleet transition: Business priority ranking - Reliable infrastructure for vehicles (such as fuel or charging networks): Business priority ranking - Certainty about availability of parts and maintenance services: Business priority ranking - Other (please tell us more):

If you selected other, please tell us more:

Not relevant.

Monitoring and reporting (Part 5 of 6)

16. What are your views on the draft indicators we have set out for measuring our progress toward delivering the just transition outcomes for the transport sector?

Indicators radio - The indicators will help measure progress towards delivering the just transition outcomes: Make a comment about a specific indicator or indicators (optional):

Outcome 5 - should include the point about accessible vehicles

Outcome 9 - should include concrete monitoring, e.g. levels of hate crime and numbers of staff trained in hate crime awareness

Outcome 10 - how is accessibility to be measured? Probably requires different measures according to nature of disability, and requires specific metrics on accessibility improvements and disabled transport users experiences generally. The evaluation around the extension of free rail travel to blind passenger companions is a good example of this. Measurement of impacts of LEZs should include indirect negative impacts on e.g. taxi availability for disabled passengers.

Outcome 11 - should be 'spend on transport by lowest income, most deprived and disabled.' Outcome 12 - first and last mile of journeys often the biggest barrier for disabled passengers.

17. If you are aware of any other data being collected that could be used to monitor progress towards any of the outcomes set out in this Plan please share details below.

Please add details here:

The evaluation around the extension of free rail travel to blind passenger companions.

About you (Part 6 of 6)

18. What is your name?

Name:

Redacted

19. Are you responding as an individual or an organisation?

Organisation

20. What is your organisation?

Organisation:

Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland

Sector:

Other third sector

21. Further information about your organisation's response

Please add any additional context:

The Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland advises the Cabinet Secretary for Transport on transport for disabled people. This response was agreed by our Workstream Leads covering different transport sectors.

22. Where do you live most of the time?

Please enter the first half of your postcode. Postcodes will never be published:

Redacted

Other (please specify):

23. What is your email address?

Email:

Redacted

24. The Scottish Government would like your permission to publish your consultation response. Please indicate your publishing preference:

Publish response only (without name)

25. Do you consent to Scottish Government contacting you again in relation to this consultation exercise?

Yes

26. I confirm that I have read the privacy policy and consent to the data I provide being used as set out in the policy.

I consent