Responding to the Climate Emergency
Responding to the Climate Emergency
This has been the year of Scotland hosting COP 26 and the Scottish Government entering a cooperation agreement with the Scottish Green Party. It has been a year when the need to address the Climate Emergency has come to the fore.
During this period MACS has continued to engage across ministerial portfolios to seek to ensure that disabled people are not left behind as we plan for a greener future with more sustainable transport options.
We worked hard to push for walking and wheeling to be included in the top tier of the sustainable transport hierarchy and this year has seen us being more vocal on disabled people's needs to bring this to life but also to ensure that we tackle the climate emergency through the lens of equality and inclusion.
Sustainable Transport Hierarchy
Top – walking and wheeling
Next level – cycling
Dropping down to – public transport
Next level down – taxis and shared cars
Bottom of the hierarchy – private cars
Prioritising Sustainable Transport
We need to take this approach not only to align with the NTS2 priority to reduce inequalities but also to "close the mobility gap". We know that disabled people travel less often, and make shorter journeys, and much of this is not through choice but because of the challenges they face in infrastructure design and service provision and delivery.
MACS pushed for better data collection on disabled people's travel behaviours and as a result, Transport Scotland published Disability and Transport in July 2021, which reports on data from the Scottish Household Survey.
View report on Disability and Transport
This will begin the data collection and analysis that will help measure the progress being made by NTS2, STPR2 and the Accessible Travel Framework. We would like to thank our colleagues in Transport Scotland's Research, Statistics and Evaluation Unit for producing this report.
MACS supports tackling the climate emergency in alignment with the NTS2 priority of "Taking Climate Action" and our position on the current commitments is detailed below:
As previously stated, MACS welcomes the publication of the Scottish Government cooperation agreement, which we believe presents a number of opportunities to address the inequalities that disabled people face in terms of mobility and transport. It is essential that the focus on carbon reduction and other environmental goals is complemented by an equal focus on "reducing inequalities" – one of the four priorities underpinning the NTS2 Vision and supporting a "just transition".
Just transition - MACS is supportive of the reduction in use of fossil fuels in transport, for example the proposed 20% reduction in car km target for 2030. However, alternatives to the car need to be accessible to disabled people. It must also be recognised that many disabled people do not have the option of non-car-use because of either poor infrastructure design or inaccessible or unaffordable public transport options. Inclusive designs of infrastructure and service delivery, as well as exemptions, must be made for disabled people where necessary.
A good example of this is the exemption of the approximately 240,000 Blue Badge holders from the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) proposals. We support a "just transition' where disabled people are not further disadvantaged.
Specifics
Below, we briefly point to some of our work in connection with the Scottish Government's plans such as the 'STPR2' (see later in the report for more detail).
Active Travel - The increase in Active Travel budgets could be spent on walking and wheeling as well as cycling/walking. The increase in budget creates great scope for improving local pedestrian/wheeling environments, which are important to disabled people for everyday travel around their neighbourhoods as part of the door-to-door journey, for example, to the bus stop. We have made suggestions for this environment in our report titled 'Small Changes Can Make A Big Difference'.
View 'Small Changes Can Make A Big Difference' report
However, there remains an issue of how to publicise this opportunity and incentivise Local Authorities to produce proposals that prioritise the top tier of the sustainable transport hierarchy (walking and wheeling). This can often be overlooked, with a focus on cycling whilst walking and wheeling is the most common form of active travel and often under-reported in data collection.
Opportunities exist to collect more walking and wheeling information (including from the first and last part of a journey on public transport, i.e. home to bus stop and walking and wheeling as part of inter-modal connections).
Trains - We support increased investment, which presents opportunities to invest in improving the accessibility of stations, for example, lifts to platforms, tactile surfaces at the edge of platforms. The current rollout programme to remove these barriers to travel by rail is too slow and will take decades to cover the entire network at present levels of ambition. Making stations more accessible will prevent the exclusion of disabled people from this form of transport. MACS would also like to state at this juncture that they are excited by the new Minister for Transport's focus on passengers being able to make end-to-end journeys without being fearful, and without the threat of intimidation, verbal and physical abuse of violence. MACS looks forward to working closely with the Minister on these issues as well as what improvements can be made now that ScotRail has returned to public ownership.
"Fair Fares" Review - We believe that this should include consideration of the extension of concessionary travel to rail, community transport and taxis. Travel by community transport (and taxis and private hire cars) is particularly important to disabled people who need door-to-door services. Those who are excluded from accessing public bus services do not, in practice, have access to concessionary travel at present creating further inequalities.
This is more prevalent in rural and island areas (though also an issue in some urban areas due to the withdrawal of non-commercially viable or non-profit-making viable bus routes). Concessions for rail and ferry are largely a "postcode lottery" at present.
MACS would suggest this is an area where there is a known inequality (and discrimination) that to date has not been addressed. We see merit in reviewing the entire concessionary travel landscape, which was put in place 40 years ago. We think it may be useful to consider its fitness for purpose as new mobility patterns have developed.
Buses - In terms of improving active travel for disabled people, a positive move would be for buses to accommodate mobility scooters and also some other mobility equipment that disabled people can currently benefit from using if they are travelling by bus. Other bus operators in England have accommodated mobility scooters on buses for some time, as have Edinburgh Trams. The provision of bike spaces on buses may have specific benefits, especially in rural areas. However, it must not impact on provision, or access, for disabled passengers.
20 mph limit in urban streets - We support this approach, which will necessitate the significant re-design of many streets that were originally designed for 30 mph or higher limits. This approach would make it safer for pedestrians and support the sustainable transport hierarchy. The benefits of reduced speed limits in urban areas is well researched and evidenced.
Active freeway network - This could also be a useful barrier-free resource for longer-distance wheeling and for disabled cyclists and would support the development of the 20-Minute Neighbourhood concept and connected communities, which we are very much in favour of, as they can significantly benefit disabled people, if designed properly. This must include engaging with disabled people in the concept planning, design stages and in conducting the Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) process that must accompany these initiatives.
MACS, in working with Transport Scotland's Sustainable and Active Travel Policy Team and Cycling UK, raised the issue of access to adaptive (non-standard) bikes via cycle hire or loan schemes for disabled people across Scotland. In response, Transport Scotland sought more information on opportunities and barriers to non-standard bike use and the potential interest in non-standard/adaptive bike share schemes in Scotland.
In May 2021, Transport Scotland commissioned Cycling UK to survey the opinions of disabled people on the possibility of non-standard/adaptive bike share, with advice on content and wording from MACS. The survey was promoted via a range of disability organisations, cycling groups and others to be completed online. A report from this survey was published in December 2021 with next steps agreed and being progressed. A link to this report can be found below:
Survey shows interest in adaptive bike sharing in Scotland | Cycling UK
Survey shows interest in adaptive bike sharing in Scotland | Cycling UK (easy read version)
Community Bus Fund We support this initiative, would like to hear more about the proposals, and believe it should be extended to community transport. This should include Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) and Mobility as a Service (MaaS) approaches, which are especially important in supporting disabled communities, as well as our ageing population. It should also support the provision of better facilities at bus stops – seats and shelters – which are particularly important to disabled people.
Ferries lifeline services - We fully support these initiatives, including their passenger assistance services. A "whole journey" approach linking to arrival and departure arrangements needs to be taken to ensure full access, as does linking ferry service and land transport timetables to ensure a fully integrated service.