Workstream Leaders Top 3 Highlights

Workstream Leaders Top 3 Highlights

This work stream is co led by David Hunter and Linda Bamford and the membership is made up from all Workstream Leads.

1. The 'just transition' has increasingly become the key theme of our strategic work. Scotland has adopted ambitious targets for reducing carbon emissions and embracing a 'net zero' economy. The 'just transition' means that it must work for everyone. A key component of this transition is that disabled people and their mobility needs are properly taken account of.

For example, the Scottish Government has set an ambitious target to reduce private car kilometers by 20% by the year 2030: we need to ensure that disabled people who are reliant on private cars are not disadvantaged by measures to meet this target. And equally important, alternatives to the use of private cars are accessible to everyone so that disabled people can also switch to sustainable travel and contribute to reduced emissions. We initiated useful discussions with the Just Transmission Commission on these themes and have undertaken to collaborate with them as new plans for a Just Transition for transport develop.

We commented in detail to the consultation in 2021/22 on the STPR2, which sets out the Scottish Government's priorities for capital investment in transport. In December 2022, the final STPR2 was published, with the next steps being to develop detailed business cases and a Delivery Plan.

2. We wrote to the Transport Minister asking that the accessibility and inclusion are key criteria in establishing delivery priorities and preparing these business cases. Many of the STPR2 recommendations have significant potential to improve mobility for disabled people, including improved pedestrian infrastructure, better access to trains and stations and improved ferry and port accessibility giving much more seamless connectivity to island communities.

3. We have continued to seek to influence the Motability scheme, which is currently the sole accredited provider of services to the Scottish Government's AVE Scheme. Our concerns over value for money of the scheme were heightened with the publication of Motability Operations' 2022 Annual Report, which showed a profit of £922.9 million as well as a £200 million donation to the Motability charity. We consider it unacceptable that Motability Operations is making a surplus of well over £1 billion, especially at a time of a deepening cost of living crisis.

Moreover, we are particularly concerned that the 10.1% uplift to disability benefits in 2023 will result in another windfall to Motability. The disabled scheme customers do not receive any financial assistance as the whole increase will go to Motability, not the individual. We formally asked Motability and Scottish Ministers to intervene to ensure that this is rectified.

We are also continuing to work alongside Scottish Government Social Security officials to help shape the Scottish AVE scheme. In particular, we are assisting with evaluation of potential new delivery partners, which might be accredited to offer services and with monitoring and evaluation. We have proposed that a Motability Users' Association is established to give Scottish customers a channel to give feedback and influence the developing scheme.

Audrey Birt led up the Bus and Community Transport Workstream and was joined by Graham Dunn as co lead for this reporting year. Workstream members are Joanne Devitt, Lesley Macinnes and Catherine Barile.

1. In the summer, workstream members met with the Community Transport Association (CTA) to discuss issues around community transport. MACS has a keen interest in community transport as we note that it is a key provision for many disabled people to access their communities including access to support services like health and social care. We were made aware there are concerns centred about rising fuel costs and its impact on costs for members, volunteers and especially users of the service. In many cases in Scotland that increase is not being passed on however this is putting pressure on resources. We learned that volunteers have been disincentivised by the reimbursement of mileage has not having kept up with fuel costs. Unfortunately this is having an adverse effect in relation to the services that can be offered, many of which will be Transport to Health related.

As part of these discussions, we also learned CTA are mapping the Community Transport provision across Scotland which should prove a valuable resource. The first year will only be members but after that they hope to include provision by other community groups who are not members.

They are also working with MiDAS on training for drivers and volunteers:

View Driver training transformation

We recognise the need for this and reinforced the need for people who live with disabilities to be part of the training.

These meetings have been extremely beneficial in terms of broadening our understanding of issues and have met with CTA on a more regular basis as a result strengthening our stakeholder relations.

2. Members of the workstream attended a successful Development Day session involving Transport for All, Uber, CTA Scotland and Transport Scotland looking at issues for taxi users resulted in some short term and longer term ideas for further action.

Issues included discussing the training criteria/requirements for taxi drivers designed by involving disabled people, influencing legislation regarding taxi provision and how it's implemented in Scotland, amplifying the voice of taxi users and removing barriers for private hire firms like Uber crossing geographical boundaries.

Also, on taxis MACS worked closely with TS and SG officials providing feedback and attending meetings to help feed into the creation of Accessible Taxi guidance for operators.

3. Work stream representatives attended a number of workshops hosted by the Department of Transport (DfT) in relation to preparatory work in relation to the Public Service Vehicle Access Regulations (PSVAR) Review focusing on accessibility features, decarbonisation and the application of PSVAR. These workshops were utilised to seek views and discussions will be ongoing through a Steering Group that MACS will be part of going forward. We look forward to feeding into further discussions this year to progress this.

The Ferries and Aviation Workstream continues to be led by the Vice Convener, Hilary Stubbs. Workstream members are Linda Bamford, Naghat Ahmed, Lynsey Shovlin and Heather Still. The members of the Workstream work well together and their interest and knowledge complement each other.

1. The work-stream remained available to assist colleagues in the Ferries and Aviation Teams at Transport Scotland and contributed to several consultations relating to aspects of Aviation.

For example, the work-stream commented on Aviation Consumer Policy and Reform consultation. In this we were able to emphasise the importance of lifeline links to our island communities, the need for safe carriage of wheelchairs, the need to include carers in all decisions and the need to reform the compensation if a wheelchair or other aid is damaged.

2. We were also approached as a stakeholder of the CAA to comment on their consultation about their future role. Unlike many other strategic documents there was little reference to the needs of disabled traveller, so we had scope to advise on these points.

The CAA reviewed the level of service for disabled people and passengers with reduced mobility at 16 of Britain's largest airports over a seven month period to October 31 and reported that only 6 were rated as 'Very Good'. These included Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. This is a pleasing rating and demonstrates the services for travellers with reduced mobility given by these Scottish airports.

3. In last year's annual report the Ferries and Aviation Team reported on the initial progress of the National Island Plan and the Islands Connectivity Plan. During this year MACS has been represented on the strategic development of both initiatives by Hilary Stubbs.

The two initiatives are intrinsically linked and form a 'Golden Thread' which links them to the STPR2, the Programme for Government (PfG), National Transport Strategy 2, Fair Fares Review, and the Just Transition programme.

In all these areas the Triple A (Available, Accessible, Affordable) perspective for disabled travellers is prominent in the development of transport options of the future.

In September 2023, Hilary Stubbs steps down from MACS when she completes her 8 year appointment. Her final piece of work for MACS will be a Development Day for her colleagues and the MACS sponsor team around the theme of accessible ferries.

The Rail Workstream is led by Simon Watkins. Workstream members are Michael Tornow, Lynsey Shovlin and Catherine Barile

The past year has continued to be one of change, with the publicly owned ScotRail establishing itself and the third UK Government of the year confirming the creation of Great British Railways (GBR) to succeed the current arrangements UK wide.

1. Last year we reported on our successful bid to get ScotRail to monitor the return of disabled passengers (via Passenger Assist numbers) to rail travel post Covid, as against the return of passengers as a whole. The latest figures that we have shown that, whilst 70% of ScotRail's passengers have returned overall, only 30% of disabled passengers have. We will continue to monitor this situation and use it as a lever to encourage improvements for disabled rail travellers.

2. Platform train ramps have become a big issue over the past year. For safety reasons ScotRail have had to stop using a single ramp for boarding wheelchair passengers and replace them with five different ones, which lock into the five distinct types of rolling stock they possess. Initially the ramps were only deployed at a limited number of stations, but adverse reaction from MACS and other bodies has led ScotRail to propose a second phase of the rollout of ramps, which will incorporate most of the stations that held them before.

3. The Rail Workstream has also been investigating the issue of future rolling stock and level boarding. Level boarding does away completely with the need for platform based ramps as carriages are designed to be lower and have extendable ramps that deploy from the doorways to assist all passengers. We were very encouraged to learn that level boarding would be possible at 90% of Scottish stations without any alterations and that Scottish Government is committed in principle to this for most future rolling stock. A public announcement will be made in due course.

The Roads, Infrastructure and Active Travel Workstream (RIAT) is led by Susan Fulton. Workstream members are Naghat Ahmed, Michael Tornow and Lesley Macinnes.

The team worked to reinforce the need for accessible and inclusive public transport including places and spaces that everyone can access and use – irrespective of age, ability, or gender.

Members of the team worked hard again this year focusing not only on issues relating to the Roads Infrastructure and Active Travel agenda but also helping colleagues in other work streams in terms of delivering change in relation to Transport to Health and Social Care and also researching and challenging the amount of profit made by Motability, which has a direct discriminatory and adverse effect on disabled people.

Members of the team continued to support colleagues within Transport Scotland providing advice and lived experience on various working groups including but not limited to Roads for All Forum, Safer Speed Limit of 20mph by 2025 Task Group, Cross Party Group on Sustainable Transport, Inclusive Design and Busy Town Centres and Living Streets Inclusive Design Reference Group.

1. An area the team have collaborated closely with colleagues within Transport Scotland is the introduction of LEZs (across 4 cities in Scotland) and in particular the exemption process. MACS was instrumental in ensuring that the registration process for exemptions was not only online but available to phone users as well to offer choice and flexibility. Members of the RIAT team were also involved in the testing of the exemption registration process to ensure that it is accessible.

2. Lived experience of negotiating barriers in relation to transport is something that team members have to resolve on a daily basis, and they brought this experience to various pieces of research; for example, kerb height study, zebra crossings and floating bus stops.

3. The team continues to respond to requests from partner agencies to work collaboratively and share knowledge and best practice; for example, providing input into the SUSTRANS Active Travel Strategy. They were also busy responding to numerous consultations and when required challenge identified delays in legislation being brought forward e.g., the Pavement Parking Bill.

Throughout the year the team have provided responses to a number of consultations and below shows the diverse range of subjects the team covers.

• PAS 1899:2022, Electric Vehicles – Accessible Charging – Specification
• Tribunals (Scotland) Act 2014 consultation on regulations allocating the new Transport Appeals to the General Regulatory Chamber
• Review of Permitted Developments Rights
• Law Commission – Remote Driving
• Draft Cycling Network Consultation
• National conversation to inform a new dementia strategy: discussion paper.

 

Previous | Contents | Next