Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Rejected
Mandate all licensed transport providers to appoint accessible transport champions for passenger experience assessment.
Recommendation
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 way of assessing the passenger experience. Champions should have an understanding of accessibility needs on a pan-disability basis, and personal experience of navigating transport as a disabled person or carer. (Recommendation, Paragraph 107) The legislative framework
Government Response Summary
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.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
The Department will undertake further work to assess how best to address the issues raised. As previously stated, the Department sets the policy framework for transport accessibility, which regulators enforce, but as this inquiry has rightly highlighted, meaningful progress hinges on everyone, especially operators, not just following the rules in a tick-box manner but addressing cultural and human factors within their organisations. A clear message came through the testimony of witnesses giving evidence during the inquiry - everyone must play their part in breaking down barriers including non-disabled passengers. It is not the remit of the Department to impose specific personnel roles on individual operators, but initiatives such as transport champions or mystery shoppers may be beneficial in some licensed provider and operator settings, for example, a franchised operator, while possibly not being practical where the provider is a sole operator such as a taxi driver. Nevertheless, as evidenced by the operators who attained Inclusive Transport Leader Scheme (ITLS) accreditation and the work of the Accessible Transport Policy Commission, there is appetite among operators to learn and adopt best practice in promoting accessibility awareness and understanding amongst their staff and making sure this is applied in day-to-day practices, including learning on the effectiveness of existing mystery shopper type-practices by passenger watchdogs and regulators.