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Accessible transport: legal obligations

Status: Closed Opened: 2 Feb 2023 Closed: 4 Mar 2026 18 recommendations 11 conclusions 4 reports

A variety of legal obligations to ensure accessibility apply to transport operators and local licensing authorities across different modes of transport, and the Transport Committee has conducted an inquiry into these legal obligations and whether they are being met. The Committee published their report on Thursday 20 March 2025 Read the report Read the large …

Clear

Reports

4 reports
Title HC No. Published Items Response
1st Report – Access denied: rights versus reality in disabl… HC 770 20 Mar 2025 29 Responded
Easy Read – 1st Report – Access denied: rights versus reali… HC 770 20 Mar 2025 0 Responded
BSL report summary – 1st Report – Access denied: rights ver… HC 770 20 Mar 2025 0 Responded
Audio summary – 1st Report – Access denied: rights versus r… HC 770 20 Mar 2025 0 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
6 Recommendation 1st Report – Access denied: rights vers… Deferred

Adopt a rolling programme of rapid interventions for station accessibility upgrades.

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
17 Recommendation 1st Report – Access denied: rights vers… Deferred

Mandate Great British Railways to prioritise accessibility in future staffing level and location decisions.

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
24 Recommendation 1st Report – Access denied: rights vers… Deferred

Lead a review of transport accessibility legislation, collaborating with disabled people, to update and clarify standards.

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

Require evidence of e-scooter schemes managing negative impacts on disabled people's street access.

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

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions
Date Witnesses
13 Dec 2023 Anthony Browne · Department for Transport, Guy Opperman · Department for Transport, Huw Merriman · Department for Transport, John Kirkpatrick · Equality and Human Rights Commission, Liz Wilson · Department for Transport View ↗
22 Nov 2023 Anna Bowles · Civil Aviation Authority, Councillor Linda Taylor · Local Government Association, Jacqueline Starr · Rail Delivery Group, Karen Dee · Airport Operators Association, Loveday Ryder · DVSA, Mr Keith McNally · Confederation of Passenger Transport, Ms Alison Smith · Network Rail and Great British Railways Transition Team, Rob Griggs · Airlines UK, Stephanie Tobyn · Office of Rail and Road View ↗
25 Oct 2023 Caroline Stickland · Transport for All, Catherine Casserley · Cloisters Chambers, Doug Paulley, Accessible transport campaigner, Professor Anna Lawson · School of Law, University of Leeds, Stephen Brookes MBE · Disability Rights UK View ↗
13 Sep 2023 Andy Mellors · Avanti West Coast, Anthony Smith · Transport Focus, Christopher Brooks · Age UK, David Horne · London and North Eastern Railway Company, Katie Pennick · Transport for All, Louise Rubin · Scope, Mick Lynch · National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers (RMT), Richard Allan · Chiltern Railways, Simon Moorhead · Rail Delivery Group, Stephanie Tobyn · Office of Rail and Road View ↗
14 Jun 2023 Alan Benson MBE, Christiane Link, Stephen Anderson, The Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE View ↗

Correspondence

19 letters
DateDirectionTitle
21 Jan 2026 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Rail relating to accessibility at stations, dated …
2 Jul 2025 To cttee Letter from the Secretary of State for Transport relating to the Government res…
13 Jun 2025 To cttee Letter from the Chair to the Secretary of State for Transport relating to the G…
21 Feb 2024 — Correspondence from the Minister for Maritime International and Security relati…
21 Feb 2024 — Correspondence from the Deputy Chief Executive, EHRC relating to accessible tra…
21 Feb 2024 — Correspondence from Chair to Minister for Maritime International and Security, …
24 Jan 2024 — Correspondence from the Operations Director, Confederation of Passenger Transpo…
17 Jan 2024 — Correspondence from the Traffic Commissioner relating to Public Service Vehicle…
17 Jan 2024 — Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for …
22 Nov 2023 — Correspondence from the Minister for Rail, Department for Transport, relating t…
15 Nov 2023 — Correspondence from the Managing Director, Chiltern Railways relating to rail t…
23 Oct 2023 — Correspondence from the Chair of the Committee to the Minister for Rail relatin…
20 Oct 2023 — Correspondence from the Managing Director, LNER relating to rail ticket office …
20 Oct 2023 — Correspondence from the Managing Director, Chiltern Railways relating to rail t…
20 Oct 2023 — Correspondence from the Managing Director, Avanti West Coast Railways relating …
20 Oct 2023 — Correspondence from the Chief Information Officer, Rail Delivery Group relating…
19 Sep 2023 — Correspondence from the Chief Executive, LNER, relating to Accessible transport…
12 Sep 2023 — Correspondence from Chair to the Rail Minister relating to rail ticket offices,…
12 Sep 2023 — Correspondence from the Rail Minister relating to rail ticket offices, dated 11…