Conclusion
This review was set up to consider how the Accessible Travel Framework (ATF) has been developed and delivered, since its publication in 2016.
At this point it may be worth reflecting that the overarching vision of the original document was, that “all disabled people can travel with the same freedom of choice and dignity as other citizens.”
Therefore, the review has used the lived experience and testimony of disabled people in Scotland to consider the impact, priorities, and changes to experiences of travel in Scotland, through the implementation of the ATF. To this end, the review has collated information, data, experiences and impacts from disabled people across Scotland in relation to their travel experiences.
The review recognises that there have been a number of confounding variables in relation to the implementation of the ATF and to transport in Scotland more generally – particularly over recent years – including (though not exclusively):
- The Covid-19 pandemic.
- Strike action across transport companies.
- The cost-of-living crisis.
- The climate crisis.
- The energy crisis.
It is also recognised that ‘transport’ encompasses a wide expanse of integrated components, including (as examples): Clear Pathways; Hate Crime; Journeying between different modes of transport; and Journey Planning. Although relatively easy to approach the development of such examples in isolation, the reality for the disabled person is that these components are very often inter-linked.
Elsewhere within the review, key recommendations are identified and recorded, and it is not the intention to repeat these at this point. That said, there are some more general observations to highlight.
Reflecting on the evidence generated by the review, it is accepted that some progress has been made across some of the ATF priority actions put forward in the last five years. However, a reasonable question to pose is whether such progress has been significant in nature.
It is also recognised that strong developments have been made in recent years to improve the experience of accessing transport services - however it is acknowledged that passenger assistance and staff training remain vital to be carried forward and enhanced further.
Effective and open consultation and co-production practices need to be upheld and implemented - across all areas of the ATF - in order to ensure that the lived experience of disabled people can be actively and effectively utilised as a guide to creating indicators and progress measures of the ATF.
Overall, the review found there to be a general lack of information (data), concerning the implementation of the Accessible Travel Framework (ATF) to date.
Many surveys and data collection systems have not been linked to the action plans created, used to annually reflect improvements, or used to indicate meaningful progress. There is further work to be done to make connections across existing data collection strands and to ensure that changes are made to existing data channels, which can go on to inform continuous evaluation of ATF work packages moving forward.
Additionally, there is not sufficient regional data collection or consultation exercises, and this review finds that some of the regional baseline data collection exercises created are no longer running or have not been revisited since before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Similarly, there is a general reflection from the data obtained, that disabled people travelling in Scotland are still experiencing issues surrounding access to consistent and clear information. Indeed, this review finds that many accessible services are not consistently offered across Scotland, culminating in a lack of support for door-to-door travel – particularly so within a rural context.
This review is both reflective and forward looking. To that end, it is suggested that for the remainder of the current ATF lifespan, to build in qualitative, experience-centred success or progress indicators in all priorities and ensuring that these indicators are gathered annually as required by all stakeholders.
This will provide a method of assessing the impacts on the experiences of disabled people and values of progress moving forward. Many respondents have articulated that strong feedback and consultation mechanisms being put in place would be a crucial sign of successful progression and would be a vital positive sign of change.
This review finds that some of the original ATF indicators have not been upheld or continued to be collected via Transport Focus passenger surveys - or are no longer a pressing concern frequently raised.
The review finds the ATF issues identified and actions to carry forward have not always been constructed to meet SMART measures. Whilst they are an accurate depiction of priority issues at that time, they were not constructed in a way which allowed for the adaption and response to changing concerns.
Overall, there is a need for a shift in approach and language of project documents, moving away from progress or completion, to progress and on-going development/continuation in consultation with disabled people and DPOs.
Providing accessible travel to all disabled people across Scotland and continuously working collaboratively on this aim will be an on-going body of work. the aim of project documents such as the ATF should be to guide, augment and provide markers for the direction of this on-going work.
This shift in ethos will be paramount to the development of the new framework and other project documents moving forward within the work of closing the mobility gap in Scotland.
Consultation respondents have noted that accessibility to them is about choice. Therefore, moving forward, offering disabled people as much choice as possible, to ensure they can participate as it suits them, would allow for further autonomy within the experience of travel.
Finally, transport services, travel support and assistance which allow individual disabled people to travel independently - without the need for a companion, or without having to notify members of staff – would be viewed as a true success for the ATF and an improvement for disabled people.