Press Release 01 October 2002: MACS welcomes new arrangements for free local bus travel
Yesterday marked the start of free off-peak local bus travel for all disabled and elderly people living in Scotland. Margaret Hickish, Convener of MACS, commented:
"I very much welcome the introduction across Scotland of free off-peak bus travel for elderly and disabled people.
I particularly welcome the decision by some local authorities to go beyond the minimum standards set out by the Executive. One of the most important extensions to the minimum has been to allow free travel before 9.30am.
Approximately 50% of people with disabilities are unemployed. This extension to the scheme will help tackle this problem by assisting disabled people to access education and employment. This can only be welcomed.
Some areas local authority areas have also worked with their neighbours, or indeed funded it out of their own coffers, to allow elderly and disabled people to travel not only in their own local authority area but across boundaries into other local authorities. This approach reflects the realities of the circumstances some people find themselves in. Most journeys taken by most people are local journeys but these journeys are not necessarily within the artificial administrative boundaries of local government."
We hope that other local authorities will follow the example set by their peers by extending the scheme beyond the Executive's minimum standards and outside their geographical boundaries.
While we welcome this scheme, the goal of MACS is to promote a public transport system which allows disabled people to go when and where everyone else can. This means that we are seeking an improvement in transport services to make them accessible for everyone. The offer of cheap or free travel is irrelevant if the transport is not accessible.
Notes:
1. MACS (Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland) is an advisory non-departmental public body set up to advise Scottish Ministers on disability issues in relation to transport policy.
2. The Committee is made up of 10 people, appointed by Scottish Ministers, most of whom have a disability. Margaret Hickish is the Convener of MACS.
3. Margaret, a wheelchair user, is a Senior Access Consultant with Buro Happold Engineers Ltd and has advised the Holyrood Parliament Project since December 2000. She was previously employed as a Development Manager with the Adapt Trust and as a Quality Assurance Manager with the Ministry of Defence.
Contact:
MACS Secretariat
Tel: 01383 749548
E-mail: macs@macs-mobility.org