Research Support for the 2015 Transport Accessibility Summit
Appendix 4 Other priority issues
Information and Assistance
Other issues identified as priorities included:
Issue 4. If things go wrong, there should be an accessible format for contacting the operator.
- "An individual should not contact the driver – it's not practical to disturb drivers during the journey."
Issue 6. Make a good practice policy for using signs.
- "Icons/signs policy exists, but people don't know about them."
- "Make them visible, appropriately placed at suitable levels. Symbols are better than words.
Issue 7. Bring together all timetable information for all kinds of transport.
- "It enables people to make informed decisions about their complete journey and book assistance as required.
Issue 8. Make sure people know where and when an accessible bus is available – this includes an accessible stop.
- "What if you are visually impaired? Need audio/visual system."
- "This would make travel more accessible and connect up more."
Issue 10. Make booking accessible taxis easier and more accessible.
- "This is an issue in Perth/Dundee/Angus."
- "There should be more training of taxi drivers – some drivers are not very nice."
Training and Customer Service
Other issues were mentioned by individual groups as being a priority issue. These include the following:
Issue 2:Talk to disabled people about how to change attitudes to staff
- "Importance of good customer service – basic values. We're looking for courtesy that everyone is entitled to."
- "Disabled people know best."
Issue 5:Have a guide for people who provide transport about how they can support disabled people to travel more easily.
- "It might help towards national, consistent service standards."
- "By offering transport staff equality training - this would lead to the production of a training guide for both transport operators and passengers."
Issue 6 Make sure that people who provide transport take responsibility for finishing a journey.
- "Being stranded mid journey is a big problem if you can't read a timetable of get any other transport home."
Issue 9 Make sure space for wheelchair users on buses is not taken by buggies.
- "There are other issues with using designated spaces, e.g. guide dogs. It is not just disabled people who have issues with buggies."
Deliverability
Other issues were mentioned as priorities by individual groups. They included:
Issue 2 – Make concessionary travel better. Extend it to include community transport.
- "This is important to meet demand from the disabled community."
- "This is a problem as it is restricted to buses and cannot be used on other transport.
- "You should be able to get it with low rate mobility Disability Living Allowance."
- "Concessionary travel is free for companion to travel on the buses, but not on trains. This causes real issues in terms of cost and ability to travel freely/independently."
Issue 5 – Provide accessible toilet facilities like Changing Places toilets near transport hubs.
- "There was a clear demand for this as a response to the changing places toilets consultation."
Issue 15 – Look at situations where there is not enough Ambulance transport
- "The number of patient transport journeys would be decreased because patients will be assessed on clinical need."
Issue 16 – Think about having guidance for local demand responsive transport. This is a local transport service to suit passenger needs; like a taxi service.
- "Local Demand Responsive Transport is really important for people in more remote areas. Most people in the group didn't know about this kind of scheme."
Connectivity
Other issues were also mentioned as being important priorities by individual groups. These include:
Issue 2 – Look at better timetabling
- "More connections between buses and ferries."
- More buses designated to meet ferries."
Issue 6 - Make tickets easier to get.
- "Integrate timetables and tickets – like Edinburgh buses and trams."
- "Resolve issues with different transport companies to make it better."
Issue 7 - If an accessible bus breaks down, make sure that it is replaced by another accessible bus.
- "Want to have most of their accessible buses out on the route."
- "Some operators will provide a taxi – should this become policy?"
- "People shouldn't be left abandoned."
- "Taxi provision should be policy if accessible bus not available."
Issue 8 – Think about how we can encourage people who make buses to think about people with different needs.
"Guidelines are already in place – produced in consultation with Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DIPTAC)."
Issue 9– Make sure the train which operates in the Highlands is upgraded to meet accessible standards.
"These are a problem."