Corporate report

DPTAC Main Committee meeting minutes December 2022

Updated 10 September 2024

11:00am to 3pm, 5 December 2022, DfT London and online.

Attendees

DPTAC: Keith Richards (DPTAC Chair), Will Bee, Chris Price, Tanvi Vyas, Roger Mackett, Jessica Uguccioni, Mike Brace, Niki Glazier, Bryan Matthews, Sharon Brennan, Sue Sharp, Helen Dolphin.

Guests: Richard Holden MP.

Introductions, conflicts of interest, pre-discussion

DPTAC Chair welcomed all to the meeting and set out requirement for confidentiality. Apologies noted from David Mapp.

Conflicts of interest: The Chair reminded members that any real, potential or perceived conflicts with the issues on the agenda should be disclosed at the start of the meeting or at the appropriate time during the meeting.

Introduction from Minister Holden

Richard Holden MP (DfT lead Minister on cross-cutting accessibility) joined the meeting to introduce himself to the Committee, thanking everyone for their time and expertise, especially Keith for his many years of service.

The Minister was clear that accessibility was cross-cutting work that included all modes, emphasising that he was very aware of the issues facing disabled people from his constituency work, many of whom are concerned about the diminishing number of taxis and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers since the pandemic.

The Minister wished to deliver the remaining ITS commitments and recognised the need to work together on future strategy. He was keen for transport services to modernise, but not at the expense of safety.

DPTAC highlighted taxis and PHVs have been a key concern for the Committee for a number of years, noting that during the pandemic many drivers of accessible vehicles had left to work for online retail and other delivery services, and passenger access to accessible vehicles is increasingly difficult. The Minister had spoken to local councils and hoped that greater devolution on issues such as licensing, via devolution settlements, would help create greater consistency and coordinating of services.

The Committee highlighted investment gaps in disability accessibility. The Minister noted that DfT has a good track record of considering accessibility in new projects, but acknowledged more work was required to develop a logical process for investment strategy.

Inclusive Transport Strategy – next steps

DfT provided an overview of progress made on the Inclusive Transport Strategy (ITS), next steps for stakeholder engagement, and asked the committee for their views on where the strategy should go next.

DPTAC noted that when thinking about next steps, it’s worth looking beyond the 2030 aim. Cost of living should also be a key area of focus for future work because of its huge impact on disabled people.

DPTAC stressed the need to measure the impact of harm or missed opportunities if people cannot access the transport network. The benefits of access to healthcare and employment are impacted by transport accessibility, which should be considered as part of the case for investment. DfT explained that cases for investment include capturing the benefits of inclusion, and disbenefits of exclusion.

Members comments included the importance of capturing passenger confidence, having a variety of accessible options available for complaints and information, and engaging with stakeholders who are impacted by the decisions.

PSVAR update

DfT provided an overview of progress and next steps in completing the review of the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR). Officials reminded the committee of the Review’s objectives and how it was intended that stakeholder feedback would be used to understand the efficacy of the existing regulations.

DPTAC members raised points including the need for an appropriate balance between the breadth of questions and their accessibility for all potential respondents; the review to consider the way in which transport may be provided in future; and the need to understand access to buses and coaches in the context of end-to-end journey accessibility.

Cross-cutting ITS projects

DPTAC and DfT discussed the issue of assistance cards for transport users.

DfT found that all modes have some sort of assistance card scheme in place, but there are various cards and schemes creating inconsistency. Many people recognise the sunflower lanyard scheme, which can be purchased or is available for free from some charities. The Committee agreed to follow up with further details as they have had previous discussions about this.

The Committee noted it would be useful to understand if things have changed as a result of the sunflower lanyard. There was high awareness during the pandemic, but cards were often used to exempt from facemask wearing. They also stressed the importance of understanding perception amongst general users to inform the level of public information and communication required. They also mentioned the value of variety (lanyards/cards) so people can choose what they want to use depending on the circumstance.

DfT provided an overview of the Inclusive Transport Leaders Scheme (ITLS) which is an accreditation scheme for operators, demonstrating their commitment to meeting the needs of disabled people. The scheme is designed so operators seek reaccreditation regularly, the latest round was scheduled to open in spring 2023.

DPTAC queried whether complaints are factored in when assessing operators, providing a means of evaluating operators and providing credibility. They also asked if there is a way of capturing the qualitative impact on disabled people who use services of operators who have been accredited, or who are seeking accreditation. They advised that DfT should keep the application window open to enable operators to apply for accreditation on a rolling basis.

DfT provided an update on the Accessible Information Regulations (AIR), which the government was committed to delivering, to mandate the provision of audible and visible information onboard local bus and coach services across Great Britain.

DPTAC members raised points including: the impact of changes to the proposed regulations which would permit the use of scrolling text to display longer stop names and messages, and the risk of display screens being used to display advertising messages that detract from essential information for passengers.

Any other business

The Chair asked for the March meeting date to be agreed.

He highlighted this was his last meeting and thanked members for their continued work and efforts.

Members took the opportunity to thank Keith Richards for his work as Chair.