Recommendations & Conclusions
29 items
1
Conclusion
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Accepted
Aside from the structural legal issues, it is clear from the evidence that myriad specific practical issues need to be addressed, across all transport modes and relating to all kinds of disability, to improve compliance and practice on a daily basis. We will seek to hold the Department for Transport, …
Government response. The government states it will act on the practical accessibility issues raised by the inquiry and will ensure operators and regulators treat accessibility as a fundamental and prioritised expectation.
Department for Transport
2
Conclusion
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Accepted
The 2018 Inclusive Transport Strategy set a goal of “creating a transport system offering equal access for disabled people by 2030”. Regardless of the status of individual actions set out in that Strategy, it is evident that the overall goal will not be achieved on that timescale. A positive direction …
Government response. The government accepts that its strategic approach to accessibility needs improvement and will embed it as a 'golden thread' within the forthcoming Integrated Transport Strategy (INTS), focusing on a clear action plan and milestones.
Department for Transport
3
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Accepted in Part
The Government should publish within 12 months a new Inclusive Transport Strategy. This strategy must have a stretching ambition, but one underpinned by metrics, actions, costings and milestones which clearly map out a practical pathway to deliver on that ambition. It must be cross-modal and closely linked to the Government’s …
Government response. The government accepts the need for an improved strategic approach to accessibility but will incorporate it within its forthcoming Integrated Transport Strategy (INTS) rather than publishing a separate Inclusive Transport Strategy, ensuring it has a clear action plan, milestones, and …
Department for Transport
4
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Accepted
Decision-makers too often deem accessibility to be in conflict with, and less important than, other policy goals, technical requirements or cost pressures. The Government’s starting point must be that accessibility has to be delivered, not that it will only be delivered if other factors do not get in the way. …
Government response. The government accepts that accessibility must be a "golden thread" in transport system design and operation, committing to embedding it within the forthcoming Integrated Transport Strategy with clear action plans and milestones to ensure it is not sidelined.
Department for Transport
5
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Accepted in Part
As part of a new Inclusive Transport Strategy, the Government must set out concrete timescales for achieving independent accessibility across the rail network, and commit to setting out within 12 months a road map for how to meet those timescales. This road map must inform the rolling stock, station and …
Government response. The government will publish an Accessibility Roadmap later this year, outlining measures and initiatives to be undertaken before Great British Railways is established, but it does not explicitly commit to setting concrete timescales for achieving full independent accessibility across the …
Department for Transport
6
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Deferred
Progress in implementing agreed accessibility upgrades at stations has been too halting, and delivery too slow and costly. The Department for Transport and its agencies and partners should consider adopting a different commissioning approach based on a rolling programme of rapid interventions, as opposed to individual station projects commissioned separately. …
Government response. The government is exploring adapting the Access for All programme to a longer-term, rolling programme to improve efficiency and delivery. It will also consider how regulators could be empowered to proactively enforce accessible design standards.
Department for Transport
7
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Accepted in Part
Station accessibility audit information must be published in full within two months of this report to permit independent scrutiny of progress, the resources required and any decisions made to rule out works at particular locations. In its Inclusive Transport Strategy, the Department should commit to compiling and publishing in open …
Government response. The government states that rail station accessibility audit data is already available on the Rail Data Marketplace. For bus and rail accessibility assets, the Department is undertaking discovery work to capture this data within NaPTAN for future journey planning tools.
Department for Transport
8
Conclusion
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Accepted
The seemingly routine, everyday nature of assistance failures on the rail network is unacceptable. Accessibility must not be viewed through the same lens as customer service, where less than 100 per cent performance is considered normal. Accessibility failures should be vanishingly rare, not commonplace, but too few actors in the …
Government response. The government accepts the need to improve its strategic approach to accessibility, committing to embed it as a 'golden thread' within a forthcoming Inclusive Transport Strategy (INTS) which will include a clear action plan and milestones.
Department for Transport
9
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Accepted
The Government’s new strategy for inclusive transport should set out what practical measures it will take to embed the principle that every instance of not meeting accessibility obligations constitutes a serious failure for which operators and service providers will be held accountable. This must include measures to collect comprehensive data …
Government response. The government commits to embedding accountability measures and a clear action plan within its forthcoming Inclusive Transport Strategy to address accessibility obligations and failures.
Department for Transport
10
Conclusion
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Acknowledged
Despite all the mechanisms in place to safeguard accessibility, proposals which risked significantly damaging disabled people’s access to the rail network by closing hundreds of ticket offices were published in 2023 and only withdrawn after a huge response to public consultation. This was a waste of time and resources and …
Government response. The government agrees that effective governance, transparency, and meaningful consultation are fundamental aspects of accountable government, acknowledging the principles behind the committee's observation regarding ticket office closures.
Department for Transport
11
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Accepted
The Department must set out in response to this report how it will change its processes in order to build accessibility into decision-making processes both internally and at agencies overseen by the Department, and how it will ensure that internal checks and balances for accessibility are effective. Relying on consultations …
Government response. The government agrees to integrate accessibility into decision-making, stating it will review business case guidance and associated processes to better reflect impacts on people with disabilities. It has also expanded its People and Equalities Centre of Excellence (PECoE) team to …
Department for Transport
12
Conclusion
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Accepted
We welcome the aspiration expressed by the Department in the last Parliament to involve the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee more thoroughly in the policy-making process beyond policy specific to accessibility. This was long overdue, considering that DPTAC was established in 1985. (Conclusion, Paragraph 76)
Government response. The government states that the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) already plays a key role across all aspects of policy development and has agreed to enhance its public reporting by publishing regular updates and meeting minutes.
Department for Transport
13
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Accepted in Part
The Department should share with this Committee a work plan mapping out DPTAC’s involvement in upcoming policy decisions, and publish quarterly reports detailing the impact that DPTAC has had on the Department’s decision-making. (Recommendation, Paragraph 77)
Government response. The government states that DPTAC's publishing decisions are for DPTAC itself, but notes that DPTAC has agreed to enhance its public reporting by publishing regular work programme updates and meeting minutes at least quarterly.
Department for Transport
14
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Acknowledged
The establishment of Great British Railways presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix accessibility as a core goal and responsibility of the railway and as a guiding principle for its decision-making. The opportunity must not be squandered, and we urge the Government in bringing forward its legislation to consider the full …
Government response. The government states that focused work will continue on the design of Great British Railways over the next 12-18 months, including how accessibility will be approached within its customer-focused culture, but does not explicitly commit to fixing accessibility as a …
Department for Transport
15
Conclusion
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Acknowledged
Operators are at pains to emphasise the complexity of the systems they work within, especially when it comes to journeys involving multiple organisations or modes. But people are entitled to expect to be able to make complicated journeys to get where they need to go; disabled people are no different. …
Government response. The government states it has already begun developing an Integrated National Transport Strategy focused on delivering seamless and accessible journeys for all users. This strategy aims to make transport user-focused, safe, inclusive, and reliable.
Department for Transport
16
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Accepted in Part
It is not sufficient for training to be delivered on disability awareness, accessibility and preventing discrimination: the training must be of a guaranteed minimum standard and proven to be effective in improving outcomes. The Department for Transport should, with the active 76 participation of disabled people, establish an expert unit …
Government response. The government agrees there is merit in reviewing, benchmarking, and standardising training packages across transport modes. It will work with DPTAC and disabled persons organisations to assess how this can be undertaken timely to support new statutory training requirements, though …
Department for Transport
17
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Deferred
The presence of staff is often a crucial determinant of the ability of disabled people to travel. Ahead of the establishment of Great British Railways and nationalisation of operating companies, the Department must be prepared to intervene where necessary to ensure that changes to staffing levels on the rail network …
Government response. The government acknowledges the important role of staff for disabled travellers and highlights existing requirements. It defers specific actions to future initiatives like the Accessibility Roadmap, the forthcoming Railways Bill (which will propose an accessibility duty for a new watchdog), …
Department for Transport
18
Conclusion
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Accepted
We welcome the focus in the Government’s rail reform consultation paper on streamlining, consolidating and strengthening powers for protecting passenger interests, resolving complaints and monitoring rights and standards. However, the focus on accessibility in the consultation document appears relatively weak in comparison to the severity of the problem. It will …
Government response. The government confirms the forthcoming Railways Bill will create a new passenger watchdog, which was proposed to have an explicit duty on accessibility for monitoring and advocating improvements, with the full consultation response due later this year.
Department for Transport
19
Conclusion
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Accepted
An unreasonable burden is currently placed on disabled people themselves in holding transport operators and authorities to account for fulfilling their duties. Legal action is rarely a practical option for most individuals, so it is especially important that complaints processes are made more accessible and effective. The user should not …
Government response. The government acknowledges the complexity of complaints processes and is already working with disabled people's groups to improve information. It will undertake further work to explore simplifying complaints processes and escalation routes across modes, starting with assessing bus complaints pathways.
Department for Transport
20
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Acknowledged
We recommend that the Department for Transport work with disabled people’s organisations to design a unified service to receive and triage accessibility complaints or reports of failures, ensure that they reach the relevant operator, authority or regulator, and follow them up if not resolved. Such a service would require an …
Government response. The government highlights existing work to improve information on rights and redress, and commits to exploring how complaints processes and escalation routes could be simplified, but does not commit to designing or implementing a unified complaints service within the specified …
Department for Transport
21
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Acknowledged
Users of such a service must receive assurance that information about complaints and failures is being aggregated and used proactively to improve systems and services, not just to effect redress to the individual. In order to achieve this, the Department should: • analyse information gathered through this mechanism both to …
Government response. The government acknowledges the complexity of complaints and has worked to improve information for disabled people. It commits to undertaking further work to explore and assess how complaints processes can be simplified, including mapping processes with stakeholders to identify how …
Department for Transport
22
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Rejected
As one way of reducing the need for complaints in the first place, we recommend that all licensed transport providers be required to appoint an accessible transport champion with the specific responsibility for navigating journeys on a regular basis to assess conditions against a checklist, as a lean and rapid …
Government response. The government rejects the recommendation to require all licensed transport providers to appoint an accessible transport champion, stating it is not within its remit to impose specific personnel roles on operators, though it acknowledges such initiatives may be beneficial.
Department for Transport
23
Conclusion
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Accepted
The landscape of legislative and regulatory requirements for transport accessible is overly complicated and fragmented and needs to adapt to changing uses of transport. This prevents both operators and travellers readily understanding rights and obligations, and makes redress harder to access. (Conclusion, Paragraph 123)
Government response. The government accepts the conclusion that transport accessibility legislation is complicated and commits to having the Law Commission undertake a review of the framework to provide clearer standards.
Department for Transport
24
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Deferred
The Department for Transport should lead a review of transport accessibility legislation in collaboration with the Office for Equality and Opportunity, and with meaningful involvement and leadership by disabled people, to assess how it could be streamlined, clarified and updated, and whether it should be underpinned by greater specification of …
Government response. The government accepts the need to review transport accessibility legislation but has deferred the work to the Law Commission, having approached them to assess their capacity to undertake this review.
Department for Transport
25
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Deferred
The case of e-scooters demonstrates the importance of ensuring that enforcement is not an afterthought when new elements are introduced into transport networks. Should the Government eventually seek to legislate for permanent e-scooter rental schemes or use of privately-owned e-scooters on public roads, it must not rely on saying that …
Government response. The government notes the importance of evidence for future e-scooter regulation and intends to consult on new regulations. It is undertaking trials and evaluations until May 2026, with results to be published in due course, and has announced powers for …
Department for Transport
26
Conclusion
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Acknowledged
The confidence that regulators evince in informal methods of enforcement and its deterrent effect on other operators is not justified by the experience of travellers. We recognise that reputational incentives such as performance rankings have a part to play, as do informal collaboration and education, but failure to adhere to …
Government response. The government agrees on the importance of regulators fulfilling their accessibility duties and will reiterate this in annual leadership letters. It intends to establish a collaborative forum to identify practical steps to improve accountability and strengthen enforcement mechanisms, and to …
Department for Transport
27
Conclusion
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Not Addressed
There appears to be no effective or easily available enforcement route for accessibility in the street environment in particular. There is instead a reliance on upstream measures such as local authorities following good practice, consulting effectively and having “due regard” under the Public Sector Equality Duty, but these appear insufficient …
Government response. The government's response broadly discusses reiterating the importance of accessibility duties to regulators and establishing a forum to improve accountability and enforcement, but it does not specifically address the lack of effective enforcement routes for accessibility in the street environment.
Department for Transport
28
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Acknowledged
The Secretary of State should immediately give regulators an explicit mandate, backed by the necessary resources, to be far more proactive within the scope of their current powers in identifying and enforcing against breaches of accessibility law and regulations by operators. The Department 79 should set annual reporting requirements for …
Government response. The government agrees on the importance of enforcing accessibility duties and, as a first step, will reiterate these duties in annual leadership directive letters to Arm's-length Bodies and agencies. The Department also envisages co-producing an accessibility charter.
Department for Transport
29
Recommendation
1st Report – Access denied: rights vers…
Not Addressed
The Department should within 12 months review the roles of enforcement bodies with responsibilities for transport accessibility and prepare to legislate where necessary: • to ensure that all have consistent and sufficient powers at their disposal, and have both the powers and resources needed to intervene formally at lower thresholds …
Government response. The government's response focuses on reiterating accessibility duties in annual leadership letters to Arm's-length Bodies and envisaging an accessibility charter, but does not address the recommendation to review the roles and powers of enforcement bodies within 12 months or consider …
Department for Transport