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Annex Six - Feedback
A6.1 This Annex gives details of the feedback exercise. It includes:
- The Feedback document
- List of transport operators invited to feedback and summary findings
- List of disability groups invited to provide feedback
- Summary of feedback from disability groups
Feedback document: Transport for Disabled People Consultation Document
Aims and objectives
- To examine the reality of disabled people's travel patterns.
- To identify disabled people's needs and priorities in relation to travel and transport
- To identify what prevents people from travelling more easily, often and widely
- Identification of the measures required to move towards equality of mobility
The research so far
To date, the research has comprised a broad and varied range of activities aimed at gathering a range of views, experiences and solutions including:
- A comprehensive review of relevant literature
- Analysis of the Scottish Household Survey to identify current travel patterns
- A questionnaire survey of 700 people who are either disabled of have a long-term illness
- Case studies involving in-depth examinations of existing schemes and initiatives aimed at improving transport provision
- Qualitative consultation with disabled people and service providers
- Physical audits examining how disabled people negotiate the built environment
The consultation
The research has now reached an important stage as we have drawn on a range of sources to identify what appear to be the key challenges that need to be addressed in order to move towards achieving equality of mobility. During the course of the research so far, we have also identified some potential solutions - or perhaps more correctly partial solutions - which have been introduced on a largely piecemeal basis in some areas of the UK.
At this stage in the research, we feel that it is crucial to do two things. First, we wish to consult with key stakeholders to gather their views on the validity of the key challenges to travel for disabled people that we have identified - do stakeholders feel that these are appropriate and valid challenges? Do they reflect the experiences of those trying to travel and those involved in providing travel and transport for others?
Second, rather than simply attempt to suggest the adoption of some of the solutions or partial solutions we have so far identified, we would like to gather some further insight from those with particular interest in the use and provision of transport in Scotland. In particular, we would like to be able to use these views in order to further validate the research findings so far and to avoid eventually making recommendations which are seen as either not possible to implement or not particularly useful in the Scottish context (or more precisely, the different geographies or range of experiences in Scotland).
The following seven challenges (or needs/problems) have emerged from the research with disabled people in Scotland as key to enabling a move towards ensuring people have greater mobility.
- The opportunity to be accompanied by a companion from door to destination spanning different modes of transport
- Adding on a flexible, user-friendly, fully accessible, affordable door-to-door element to existing transport provision
- Further provision and stricter enforcement of disabled parking
- Providing a reliable pre- and during-journey information service encompassing all elements of travel (times, stairs, staffing, vehicle quality, journey progress etc) and spanning different modes of transport
- Making existing conventional public transport provision easier to use in relation to:
- physical accessibility of the vehicle
- other accessibility (e.g. location of access points, frequency)
- freedom from fear or intimidation
- affordability
- Improving the physical environment of public transport buildings and infrastructure e.g. railway stations, and the pedestrian environment e.g. kerbs, stairs
- Building customers' confidence and trust in a transport system that by its nature involves a chain of provision, - customers need to know about, and be able to rely completely upon, all links in this chain of provision.
Questions for consultees
1. What is your general experience of providing public transport for use by disabled people / using public transport?
2. What is your understanding of 'equality of mobility'?
3. What are your initial reactions to the purpose of the research and the objectives?
4. Generally, what do you think of the seven key challenges identified by the research so far? (Probe for any pertinent issues/problems not covered)
5. Taking each of the seven in turn …..
- Does the challenge seem sensible? Does it reflect your understanding of the problem?
- How do you think it could be achieved\implemented?
- Who should take responsibility for its introduction and organisation?
- How do you think it might be funded? Who do you think should be responsible for funding?
- Who do you think would benefit most?
- What problems, if any, can you envisage?
6. What do you think are the priorities for action in the future?
7. Is there anything else you would like to add?
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