« Previous | Contents |
Listen
TRANSPORT SCOTLAND
Core Functions of Agency
Transport Scotland, established in January 2006, is the national transport agency for Scotland. Transport Scotland plays a key part in improving and expanding Scotland's public transport infrastructure and in promoting transport integration. The Agency is responsible for the rail and trunk road networks and oversees their operation and management. The Agency also supports the delivery of the programme of current and future major infrastructure projects for road and rail; has established and is running the new Scotland-wide free bus scheme for older and disabled people from spring 2006; and oversees the provision of impartial travel information services and supports the increased provision of integrated tickets.
Agency Priorities in 2006 - 2009
- Ensuring that Scotland's trunk road and railway systems are managed efficiently, effectively and economically;
- Establishing and running the national concessionary travel schemes;
- Delivering the Scottish Minister's committed programme of enhancements to Scotland's rail and trunk road infrastructure;
- Helping to build Scotland's National Transport Strategy by setting investment priorities for tomorrow's rail and trunk road networks; and
- Striving towards excellence by building our working principles into everything we deliver, and how we work as an organisation.
Agency Statement of Objectives to advance disability equality
Transport Scotland will continue to promote the advancement of disability equality by ensuring that our mainstream policy initiatives and programmes take cognisance of the needs of disabled individuals. We will ensure that disabled people are involved in the development and implementation of policy and programme initiatives and that the delivery of such initiatives are targeted to ensure disabled people are aware of and can take full advantage of opportunities available. The key policy areas below have nearly all been developed with input and involvement from disabled people through their appropriate representative groups.
Impact Assessment
Disability equality impact assessment is a mechanism for the thorough and systematic analysis of a policy or practice to determine the consequences for disability equality.
The Scottish Government has developed an Equality Impact Assessment ( EQIA) toolkit which can be used across 6 equality strands. The toolkit is supported by guidance and by a programme of briefing sessions, training and ongoing support from the Scottish Government's Equality Unit for individual impact assessments.
EQIA will be used in relation to policies and practices contributing to the strategic objective of improving and expanding Scotland's public transport infrastructure and in promoting transport integration.
Transport Scotland is responsible for developing and maintaining and using the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance ( STAG) for evaluating transport projects. The EQIA process has now been integrated into this process so that there is a recognised way of ensuring that equalities issues are addressed for all potential new transport investment.
We will consider all new policies, including reviews of and changes to existing policies, to establish whether disability equality impact assessment is necessary. In line with our toolkit, this will cover any policy which impacts on people.
We will also look at and prioritise our existing policies and practices for impact assessment. To inform this, we will use the outcome of the 'get involved' events which were held in autumn 2006 and the recommendations of the Disability Working Group report (November 2006). We will also work with Analytical Services colleagues to examine the evidence in relation to existing policies and disability and use the outcome of this to support our impact assessment priorities.
Responsibility for considering priorities and ensuring that impact assessment is undertaken will be at Transport Scotland Board level. The Scottish Government's Equality Unit will continually look at how the impact assessment process can be improved and how staff from across directorates, including Transport Scotland, can best be supported.
TRANSPORT SCOTLAND
Key policy areas for advancing equality of opportunity for disabled people
Policy | Action | By whom | By when | Expected Outcome | Progress and measure |
|---|
Establish and manage Scotland-wide free bus scheme for older and disabled people | Established scheme and currently operating it. Will jointly monitor its operation with Transport Group. | Concessionary Fares Unit | Ongoing | Increased uptake by disabled people of the free bus scheme. Improving access and integration. | The national concessionary travel scheme for Older and Disabled people was launched in April 2006 and we continue to monitor the uptake. 820,000 cards were transferred from the local authority schemes and the scheme has increased so that there are now just over 1 million cardholders. We continue to promote the scheme via the Transport Scotland website, by speaking to groups and organisations, and via the local authorities and SPT. Electronic Ticketing Machines ( ETM's) are currently being rolled out on buses throughout Scotland, on an operator by operator basis. |
Scottish Trunk Road Disability Equality Strategy & Action Plan | Develop and implement a disability equality action plan to cover improvements to the Trunk Roads Network. | TRIPS: Standards Traffic & Environment Branch | End 2009 | Three year action plan to improve disabled access to trunk roads. Improved access to Trunk Roads for disabled people. | Plan published 4 December 2006. Continuing to implement the three-year Action Plan. External stakeholders, including disabled people and their representative groups, will continue to be involved through the Roads for All Forum. |
Railways for All Strategy (DfT) & Roll-out of Access for All Funding Stream (Transport Scotland) | Transport Scotland is continuing the roll-out of the Access for All funding stream including the selection of stations for future access development. The Mobility Access Committee Scotland ( MACS) and DPTAC will be consulted on future priorities. | Strategy & Investment Directorate | On-going | Improved rail station access for disabled people, the elderly, and people with luggage. | A further two stations were announced in 2007 as being Access for All stations. As a result there are eight such stations where major access improvements are being designed and implemented. During 2008 the priorities will be reviewed and the future programme of stations will be identified. |
Establishment of a Scottish Rail Accessibility Forum and associated programme of work. | Establish the Scottish Rail Accessibility Forum to bring together representatives of the Scottish rail industry and disability representative organisations in Scotland to discuss and advise Transport Scotland on disability related issues. | Strategy & Investment Directorate | On-going | The rail sector in Scotland will be able to better support disabled people to use its services and Transport Scotland will be able to advise Dept for Transport on issues of concern. | There have been five full meetings of the Scottish Rail Accessibility Forum involving disabled people's representative organisations and the rail industry. The Forum has helped shape the proposed revision of the Code of Practice and is a useful means for highlighting and resolving issues. |
Code of Practice on Train and Station Services for Disabled Passengers | Consulting, along with Dept for Transport, on a revised Code of Practice, aligning it with the new Technical Specification for Interoperability for Persons of Reduced Mobility. | Strategy & Investment Directorate | Summer 2008 | Consistent standards across the rail sector will help disabled people access the rail network. | A draft Code of Practice has been drawn up, involving disabled groups through the DfT's Technical Policy Group and the Scottish Rail Accessibility Forum. This is due to be issued for public consultation in November 2007, with a final version in place by the summer of 2008. |
Through the Franchise Agreement we oblige First Scotrail to undertake a range of activities with respect to station accessibility. | Oversee the First ScotRail Franchise agreement which includes: the minor works fund of £250,000 per annum for small scale alterations or additions to improve the accessibility of stations for disabled people; maintain website information on accessibility at stations to act as a guide to disabled passengers; review its Disabled Persons Protection Policy annually and in accordance with the guidelines. | Rail Delivery | On-going | Improved quality of train accessibility and use by disabled people. | First ScotRail output and spend, under the Minor Works Fund, is monitored. From October 2004 to March 2007, First ScotRail has in total invested more than £650,000 in accessibility improvements including RNIB react systems at Camelon and Lenzie, completing ramp access at Strathcarron, Duke Street and Tain station and improvements at many other stations including creating drop curbs, installing hand rails, providing ramp markings, marking out disabled parking spaces and disabled pick up and set down spaces, procuring wheelchairs for use at 21 stations. First ScotRail has provided information on accessibility of its stations and of its trains via the web, with an A-Z index of stations. The content of the Disabled Persons Protection Policy is reviewed annually by Transport Scotland and First ScotRail and Transport Scotland has worked to remove any ambiguity from the descriptions of station accessibility. First ScotRail has put in place a free phone number Assisted Travel line to enable customers to request, in advance, assistance at stations including the provision of alternative transport to the nearest accessible station. Transport Scotland also operates a Service Quality Incentive Regime whereby checks are carried out at each First ScotRail stations and on trains every four weeks. Included in these audits are checks: that each First ScotRail train contains a portable ramp for use by disabled customers (if required), that each station with a ticket office has at least one window with a hearing loop, that visual and audio customer information systems are operational and that copies of the Disabled Persons Protection Policy are available at each station. Additional ad-hoc inspections on the provision of services and information relating to disabled customers. |
Arrangements for delivering the general duty to promote disability equality
| Action | By whom | By when | Expected Outcome | Progress and measure |
|---|
1. What arrangements will you put in place to ensure that the policies you develop and/or the services you provide pay due regard to the need to eliminate any unlawful discrimination against disabled people? | Make sure all staff are trained in disability equality All policy teams to use equality impact assessment tool as part of policy proofing stage All policy teams to engage with disabled individuals in policy planning stage (as appropriate) | All directorates | Annual review | No case of alleged discrimination being brought to group More positive feedback to group re: uptake of provision by disabled people. | A disability awareness training programme is being developed and will be delivered with the involvement of disabled people. By the end of 2008 all Transport Scotland staff will have had the opportunity for an appropriate level of training. The Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance ( STAG) has been reviewed to include Equality Impact Assessment as a necessary element. All major transport projects go through this process. Other policy and project approval mechanisms are currently being reviewed to ensure that equality issues are adequately addressed, considered and recorded. |
2. What arrangements will you put in place to ensure that the policies you develop and/or the services you provide are able to pay due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity between disabled and non-disabled persons? | Embed a question in all new consultations (where appropriate) about equality. Incorporate impact assessment tools in option appraisals for ministers and look to see if the accessibility section in the current Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance needs to be enhanced Continue to and expand collection of data relating to the use of our networks by disabled people. | All directorates TEAR | Annual Review | More disabled people using the services we provided. | The Mobility Access Committee Scotland is involved in one of the key reference groups for the Strategic Transport Projects Group. We are currently considering how to engage with a broader stakeholder base on equality issues. The Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance ( STAG) has been reviewed to include Equality Impact Assessment as a necessary element. All major transport projects go through this process. We are undertaking an evaluation of concessionary travel in Scotland including the uptake and usage from disabled passengers. Data collection is underway and the final report is due summer 2008. We have reviewed the use and uptake of data collected via the National Rail Travel survey. Consideration will be given on how to collect information on the use of transport systems by disabled people through the Transport Model for Scotland ( TMfS). Funding has been allocated to a variety of CCTV, help points, incident support units and other projects which help to improve security and eliminate discrimination of all people including disabled people. |
3. What arrangements will you put in place to ensure that the policies you develop and/or the services you provide are able to pay due regard to the need to eliminate any harassment of disabled people, related to their disability? | Make sure all staff are trained in disability equality All teams to incorporate impact assessment tool in early option appraisals with a specific view to highlighting potential areas of discrimination | Chief Executive All Directors | Annual Review | Increased uptake of our services by disabled people and increased levels of customer satisfaction. | A disability awareness training programme is being developed and will be delivered with the involvement of disabled people. By the end of 2008 all Transport Scotland staff will have had the opportunity for an appropriate level of training. The Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance ( STAG) has been reviewed to include Equality Impact Assessment as a necessary element. All major transport projects go through this process. Other policy and project approval mechanisms are currently being reviewed to ensure that equality issues are adequately addressed, considered and recorded. |
4. What arrangements will you put in place to promote positive attitudes towards disabled people? | All policy teams to involve (where possible) disabled people in stakeholder representation and liaison. Positively encourage the appointment of disabled people to public positions and as representatives on advisory groups. | All Directorates Communications Transport Scotland | Annual Review | More positive attitudes generally to disabled people. | The Mobility Access Committee Scotland is involved in one of the key reference groups for the Strategic Transport Projects Group. We are currently considering how to engage with a broader stakeholder base on equality issues for STPR. The Roads for All and Scottish Rail Accessibility Forum have been established. The all staff training programme currently being developed will, in part, be delivered by disabled people. |
5. What action will you take to encourage the participation of disabled people in public life? | Positive encouragement for the appointment of disabled people to apply for public positions and as representatives on advisory groups. | Chief Executive Directors | Annual Review | Increased number of disabled people in public appointments or on advisory groups. | Disabled peoples' representative groups are on the Scottish Rail Accessibility Forum and the Roads for All forum. Work is ongoing to allocate funding and provide expenses to disabled people for participation in Transport Scotland consultative forums and engaging with Transport Scotland as necessary. |
6. How will you ensure that disabled people are involved in the development of your department's policies and activities? | All policy development and implementation teams to ensure (where possible) disabled people are actively involved in part of the planning phase as well as consultation phase. | All Directorates | Annual Review | Policy teams successfully reporting the involvement of disabled people in policy development and implementation. | The Scottish Rail Accessibility Forum and the Roads for All Forum are currently used for obtaining views and shaping our activities where appropriate. |
7. What arrangements will you put in place to ensure that we are able to report on progress on an annual basis? | Progress against the above will be reported annually to the Transport Scotland Board and each Directorate may undertake more frequent audits. | All Directorates | Annual Review | Embedded process to ensure thorough monitoring and reporting on activity. | A paper on the Disability Equality Scheme and other equality matters was presented to the Transport Scotland Board earlier this year The business plan was reviewed to ensure that all relevant activities were included and the Annual Report highlights some of this work. |
« Previous | Contents |