The Scottish Government

Report on the Committee's visit to Orkney on 11 and 12 May 2006

Introduction

1. MACS had a long-standing commitment to visit Orkney and this finally came to fruition when the Committee travelled to Orkney on 11 May 2006 for a 2-day visit. Details of those who attended are given in Annex A. This was part of a series of visits undertaken by the Committee across Scotland.

2. The aim of the visit was to increase the understanding and knowledge of members and the Secretariat on two main issues:

• The transport problems experienced by disabled people living on small islands
• The difficulties experienced by parents and carers travelling with disabled children

and further:

• To engage with local people who have responsibility for planning and providing transport in order to encourage them to give full consideration to the needs of people with mobility difficulties.

3. The purpose of this report is to draw attention of the Scottish Ministers, the Scottish Executive and Transport Operators and Planners to the issues identified during the visit and how these might be addressed. A summary of the visit, our findings and how we will handle these is given on pages 13 to 15.

11 May - The Journey

4. For Fiona McCall, one of our members who has mobility difficulties herself, the experience began at Edinburgh airport. Advance notification had been given that a wheelchair would be needed from the check-in point and the use of a passenger lift to access the plane. A wheelchair was provided as requested but after sitting for about ten minutes on the tarmac she was transferred to another chair and lifted up the stairs by two of the ground staff as no passenger lift was available at the airport.

5. Following the experience at Edinburgh Fiona opted to walk down the stairs on arrival at Orkney unaware that a passenger lift could have been provided.

6. The Island's accessible 'Dial-a-bus' service run by Orkney Disability Forum collected members from the airport and provided the accessible transport throughout the committee's visit. MACS is grateful to the Forum and in particular Jack Moodie for the excellent service we received.

7. Dial-a-bus offers accessible transport from 0800hrs to 2230hrs, 7 days a week, around the Orkney mainland and the linked south isles. It also assists by delivering Shopmobility equipment to the piers. It runs two fully accessible minibuses 5 days a week and 1 minibus at weekends.

8. There is an annual membership of £10 for mainland members and £5.87 for members from the outer isles. Current fares for any single trip are £2.40 within Kirkwall, and £3.40 outwith Kirkwall and these increase by £1 after 2000hrs. Local Authorities have discretionary powers to provide such services but until the provision of such door to door services are placed higher on the agenda or statutory provision is made through the Concessionary Fares Travel Scheme services like the Orkney Dial-a-bus need to invoke a charge to help sustain the service.

9. Local people placed a high value on this service as can be seen at paragraph 41. The findings of the recently published SE research reports Improved Public Transport for Disabled People and the Review of Demand Responsive Transport in Scotland (details of which are given on pages 14 and 15) also emphasise the important role played by such services.

Main Committee meeting

10. The Committee had a busy agenda with a Main Committee meeting at 1400hrs within the lecture theatre at Orkney College. The college provided an accessible venue and excellent view of the bay.

Presentation by Special Needs Children and Parents Support Group (SNAP)

11. The meeting agenda included a presentation from Inga Gilmour, Chair of SNAP. Inga was accompanied by Jenny Byers, also a member of SNAP, who has a young son with special needs.

12. In her presentation Inga explained some of the difficulties experienced by parents when travelling with children with special needs. She identified the main areas for improvements as:

• Better facilities for changing older children and young adults;
• Some quieter area where we could take stressed children to calm down;
• Better signage and information about where to queue;
• Information and booking facilities being accessible via the internet;
• Staff speaking in simple language and being prepared to repeat instructions;
• Acceptance that parents - or carers should always be able to sit beside their children;
• Assistance available with baggage, buggies and other children;
• Recognition of the rights of the child - any child!

13. Jenny also provided the Committee with an insight into the difficulties she had experienced travelling with her young son who does not have mobility difficulties but does have special needs which are not visible. The examples she described reinforced the message given in the presentation.

14. The presentation, and discussion which followed, served to highlight that in many cases what was necessary and would make a tremendous difference was disability awareness training amongst staff.

15. The Committee is grateful to Inga and Jenny for taking the time to come along to speak to them and for drawing the attention of the Committee to 'other issues', which create barriers for disabled people e.g. the changing facilities for older children and the practice of seating children and parents apart before and during the journey. The Committee hopes that it can help improve the situation by raising awareness of the spectrum of disability within organisations and local authorities etc and by continuing to promote the need for disability awareness training.

Orkney Islands Council Reception

16. The meeting was followed at 1730hrs by a reception at Orkney College kindly organised by Orkney Islands Council. The Committee is grateful to Elaine Grieve, Assistant Chief Executive of Orkney Islands Council, who hosted the event.

17. The reception, which was attended by local Councillors, Orkney Island Council's Transport, Technical, Corporate Property and Community Social Services Divisions, Harbour Authority and Ferry Services representatives as well as the Manager from Kirkwall Airport, an NHS Orkney representative and voluntary organisations provided an excellent opportunity for members to meet and speak with those directly involved in the planning and delivery of transport services in Orkney. A list of those who attended is attached as Annex B.

12 May - Visit to Kirkwall Airport

18. At 0930hrs the next morning the Committee visited Kirkwall Airport, which is operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd, with a large subsidy from the Scottish Executive (SE). David Blackman, Kirkwall Airport Manager, very kindly accompanied the Committee on a tour of the airport.

19. The visit included a demonstration of the passenger lift, which was available within the airport, for use by passengers with mobility difficulties.

Passenger Lift

20. The lift can be used on various sizes of planes from the small SAAB 340, 36-seater planes, which operated out of Orkney between Inverness, Edinburgh and Glasgow to the larger passenger planes operated at larger airports.

21. Unfortunately the timing of the visit did not allow the committee to see inside the Islander plane, which is used on the inter island service.

22. The passenger lift cannot be used on this type of small plane and access using a portable step is not easy for anyone, particularly those with mobility difficulties.

Islander Aircraft

23. The committee was on the whole very impressed by the airport and its facilities and although this was not a formal access-auditing visit David Blackman was happy to take on board informal comments and advice from members.

24. Comments offered related to mobility and access from the car park to check-in, signage within the airport, the provision of leaflets in accessible formats as well as the use of the term 'passenger lift' rather than 'ambulift'.

25. The Committee is grateful to David Blackman for his assistance during their visit.

Visit to Orkney Ferries

26. At 1045hrs the Committee moved on to Kirkwall harbour to visit two ferries operated by Orkney Ferries, a Council owned company, which operates all the internal ferry services between the Orkney Mainland and the 13 main inhabited islands.

27. David Sawkins, Manager, Orkney Ferries accompanied the committee on the tour of two medium sized ferries and again whilst this was not a formal access-auditing visit he invited comments and advice from members on the ferry facilities.

28. Members felt that generally the layout of the ferries was not good from a safety point of view. People could be spread from the lower lounges where you could get a cup of tea to the top deck and this is clearly not good in an emergency.

29. The Committee recognised, however, that the big problem with the ferries, such as the short one to Shapinsay was that it was very expensive or even impossible sometimes to upgrade the design of the existing one and companies had to wait until there was an opportunity to replace it. In shipping terms, the ferries, were not old but design standards had changed and new regulations were being introduced. MACS is aware that the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) engaged Fisher Associates to undertake a study on Strategic Sea Crossings in the Highland and Islands. The objective of the study was to prepare a strategy that will help HITRANS to realise existing and emerging development opportunities to 2025 and this includes the internal and external Orkney ferry services. The draft final report dated November 2005, which includes information on the present fleet, nominal vessel replacement dates and shore infrastructure works required is available at: www.hitrans.org.uk/downloads/FERRIES/Strategic%20Sea%20Crossings%20Baseline%20Review%20Final%20Report%201.pdf. David informed the committee that Orkney Islands Council was currently involved in producing a Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) report for the Scottish Executive with the aim of setting up a ferry replacement programme for Orkney.

30. In a recorded interview for BBC Radio Orkney broadcast on Tuesday 16 May the Convener of MACS took the opportunity to highlight the issues raised in paragraphs 28 and 29 above.

31. The ferries were empty when the committee visited so it was not possible to properly assess what it was like with passengers and vehicles on board.

32. Comments from local people who use the service are included in Annex C and these raise issues in relation to the manoeuvrability on deck when the ferry is busy and vehicles are parked on deck. Access on the smaller ferries is worse.

33. The storm chain anchor points for securing vehicles, which are essential for the safety of the vehicles and passengers, would also clearly pose a hazard to those with mobility difficulties.

Storm chain anchor points for securing vehicles on ferry deck

34. The steepness and narrow tread on the steps on both ferries to reach the facilities on board would also pose difficulties and this is highlighted in the issues raised by local people and listed in Annex C. There is no space on board to change this to meet current regulations.

Ferry Steps

35. Whilst both vessels had toilets for disabled passengers the following pictures show that in both instances there were steps at the entrance areas, which made them inaccessible for someone on their own in a wheelchair.

Ferry 1 - Access to lounge and toilet for disabled passengers (ramp not available but crew will assist if requested)

Ferry 2 - Access to area with toilet for disabled passengers (ramp available)

36. The Committee is grateful to David Sawkins for allowing the committee to visit the ferries and for his assistance during the visit.

Informal lunch at Orkney College

37. Next on the agenda was an informal lunch at Orkney College. The Rt Hon Jim Wallace, QC, MSP attended with his wife, Rosie, providing an ideal opportunity for members to meet and speak to Mr Wallace about the work of MACS and some of the issues particular to people living on the islands.

38. The Committee is grateful to Mr and Mrs Wallace for taking the time to come and meet the Committee.

Meeting with people and organisations representing people with disabilities

39. The final item on the visit programme was a meeting from 1430hrs with local people with disabilities and organisations representing people with disabilities to hear some of the issues, which affect their ability to travel both locally and further afield.

40. The members found this very useful and a list of some of the areas highlighted during the meeting are attached as Annex C. The committee undertook to draw these to the attention of the SE, Local authorities, transport planners and operators to help them understand the difficulties being experienced.

41. It should be recognised that although there was some way to go the meeting also highlighted that there were some good practices and that some improvements were already being made within Orkney. In particular it was noted that people thought that locally:

• The Dial-a-bus provided an invaluable service and for some people it is the only transport they can use. The staff helped people regain independence and confidence. The link with the shop mobility service was excellent;
• Kirkwall Airport staff and facilities at the airport were excellent;
• Ferry staff were excellent;
• Northlink Ferries had greatly improved the routes to Aberdeen, Shetland and Scrabster.

In Summary

42. The visit proved to be a very worthwhile educational and enjoyable experience for all of the committee members who were able to attend. The Committee was given a warm welcome and made to feel very welcome by everyone it met and is extremely grateful to everyone involved.

43. The availability of accessible information, the lack of staff disability equality and awareness training, availability, affordability, suitability and accessibility of transport as well as staff attitudes can be barriers to people travelling. For people to use a service they must:

• Know about it (i.e. it must be appropriately marketed);
• Be confident to use it (removal of uncertainty, fear, confidence in staff and reliability etc.);
• Get to it (ref walking abilities of disabled people);
• Get on it (physical access, but also space);
• Be able to afford it (higher unit costs of most appropriate services and lower ability to pay).

In addition the service must:

• go when someone wants to travel; and
• go where the person needs to go (i.e. not necessarily routed systems).

44. MACS will continue to promote the need for transport strategies to take proper account of disabled people through adopting the following overarching principles:

• The needs of disabled people should be built into each part of the transport strategy.
• The Executive Summary should also address the needs of disabled people to ensure that all who read the strategy understand the importance of mobility and access issues.
• It is desirable that the needs of disabled people are also summarised in a standalone chapter.

45. MACS welcomes the recently published SE research report Improved Public Transport for Disabled and supports the Report recommendation that public transport for disabled people is set firmly within the context of wider transport policy. The Committee agrees that the monitoring of outcomes (rather than outputs), to show whether disabled people's mobility is being improved, is very important. We also believe that it is essential that the Scottish Executive recognises the challenges set out in the Report's summary of key changes and the presumed need for substantial new investment and gives clear direction on this to ensure that the needs of disabled people are taken fully into account and that appropriate resources are available to address these needs in the National, Regional and Local Transport Strategies.

46. The Committee notes the Report finding that 'the provision of on-demand, door-to-door transport would contribute to removing a range of obstacles and difficulties identified by disabled travellers (or potential travellers)'.

47. The research also shows as was evident during our visit to Orkney that many disabled people have had a negative experience with staff on public transport and the report recognises the importance of training for transport operators. MACS has published guidance on 'Recommended Minimum training standards for staff assisting disabled people', which provides advice for transport operators and will continue to promote the need for appropriate awareness training.

48. MACS will study the report to ascertain whether it does indeed provide a better idea of the scale and scope of current and potential demand.

49. On 25 May the Scottish Executive also published the report on the recently completed Review of Demand Responsive Transport in Scotland as a web only publication at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/05/18112606/0 together with Guidance on How to Plan and Run Flexible and Demand Responsive Transport at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/05/22101418/0.

50. This review concluded that Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) plays an important and growing role in the spectrum of transport provision and that best value public transport in most parts of the country can be expected to include DRT.

51. The report also states that "the high incidence of Community Transport (CT) managed and operated DRT services, and the progress made by the CT groups involved in the pilot urban CT funding, demonstrates the importance of the CT sector to the development of DRT provision. National funding for CT needs to reflect this".

52. We will use the information these reports present combined with our wider knowledge of the problems experienced by disabled people travelling in Scotland, to give robust strategic advice to Scottish Ministers on the way forward.

53. MACS will study the report to ascertain whether it does indeed provide a better idea of the scale and scope of current and potential demand.

Members, Staff and Observers who attended the visit:

Members:
Trevor Meadows (Convener)
Mairi O'Keefe (Deputy Convener)
Bryan Alexander
Ewan Jones
Fiona McCall
Roderick McLeod
Alastair McPherson
John Moore
Alan Rees

Secretariat:
Jean Wilson, Secretary of MACS
Sandra Falconer, MACS Secretariat
Kerry Wall, MACS Secretariat

Observer:
Andy Kirby, DPTAC

List of those who attended the Orkney Islands Council Reception on 11 May:

Host

Ms Elaine Grieve, Assistant Chief Executive, Orkney Islands Council (OIC). Elaine took up her present post in late 2005. Prior to that she was a Head teacher and then Assistant Director of Education (Children's Services). Among her responsibilities was support for children with special needs. She headed a group, which has produced an accessibility strategy for the education service. Her role as Assistant Chief Executive includes a vast range of topics including developing the Council's response to the Disability Equality Duty.

Councillors

Cllr Stephen Hagan, Convener of the Council. He was elected as Convener in 2003 and before that was chair of the Council's Transportation Committee. He lives on Westray, and the island's airstrip is in a field on his farm. His wife has a very part time job as an air-strip attendant.

Cllr Ann Sutherland, Chair, Orkney Ferries.

Harbours and Ferries

Nigel Mills, Director of Harbours. OIC is unusual in being a harbour authority for most of the harbours in the county. (The harbour in St Margaret's Hope, currently used by Pentland Ferries, is operated by a Harbour Trust, as is Scrabster Harbour on the Scottish Mainland, which is used by Northlink).

David Sawkins, Manager, Orkney Ferries. Before joining Orkney Ferries, David worked for Shetland Islands Council and was responsible for commissioning a number of new ferries which are much more accessible than earlier vessels

Orkney Ferries is a Council owned company, which operates all the internal ferry services between the Orkney Mainland and the 13 main inhabited islands

Air

David Blackman, Manager, Kirkwall Airport. Kirkwall Airport is operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd, with a large subsidy from SE.

Orkney Islands Council - Transport

Jeremy Baster, Director of Development Services. The Transportation Planning section of the council is part of his directorate. Jeremy has been heavily involved in negotiations with SE in relation to subsidies for internal and external air services and in relation to a proposal to replace the internal ferry fleet. He has been a regular member of Hi-Trans.

Alison Muir, Senior Transport Officer.

Orkney Islands Council - Technical Services

Brian Thomson, Director of Technical Services. Apart from responsibilities for building and maintaining roads, buildings, piers and harbours the department runs the six airstrips used for the internal air service.

David Rendall, Head of Roads, will be attending. Unlike the rest of Scotland there are no trunk roads in Orkney, as defined by SE. Trunk roads are the concern of Transport Scotland. So David is responsible for all roads in Orkney

Andrew Morgan, is an Asset Surveyor. He works in the Council's Corporate Property Division and has special responsibility for accessibility issues in all the Council's buildings. These include all the ferry terminals and a new transport centre which is being built in Kirkwall. Andrew is applying to become an NRAC Consultant

Orkney Islands Council - Technical Services

Roma Paton, Service Manager, Older People.

NHS Orkney

Dr Ken Black, Consultant in Public Health Medicine. Ken leads the development of the Health Board's disability strategy.

Voluntary Sector

Jack Moodie, Co-ordinator - Orkney Disability Forum. The forum acts a pressure group for disabled people in Orkney as well as hosting the Access Panel and providing a Dial-a-Bus service.

Beatrice Cook, Representing Special Needs Children and Parents Support Group (SNAP). Inga Gilmour, the Chair of SNAP will be talking to the committee earlier on Thursday afternoon.

Meeting with people and organisations representing people with disabilities at Orkney College on 12 May 2006

Issues Raised - Travel and Disability
Some difficulties experienced by disabled people when they travel are the same both locally and nationally.

1. The necessity of booking and planning a trip in advance. Disabled people have to book ticket, book assistance on and off transport - (involving a ramp, help transferring from platforms if train travel etc), book carer, book transport to the start of journey.
2. Information is not always displayed in accessible formats or places.
3. The cost of paying for 2 tickets - 1 for the disabled person and 1 more for the carer.
4. Difficulties travelling with luggage/shopping. More accessible left luggage facilities would be helpful.
5. Security - you are very vulnerable when travelling. Pick pockets could easily take things off the back of a wheelchair without being noticed by the wheelchair

Local services
Ferry Services

• Northlink ferries:
  • Disability awareness training:
    Due to tide changes, it would be helpful if staff could make it clear to people how far they will have to walk when boarding the ferry and also how steep the ramp will be that day. People might need assistance, but they will not realise this until they have set off.
  • Having visible announcements as well as audible announcements would be helpful.
  • Northlink Booking system is not totally accessible. There is no facility to do an online booking using an islander card and get the reduction for disabled people. You have to phone and speak to an operator or go into the office in Kirkwall, which is not possible for many people.
• Orkney ferries do not offer an accessible service.
  • You have to stay in your car if you cannot manage the very steep stairs on the boats.
  • It is also not made clear how difficult it might be for a person with mobility difficulties to manoeuvre on the car deck once all cars are parked so close together.
  • Assistance on and off the ferries would be helpful. The distance down the ramp into the ferry with luggage could be too far for many people.
• Pentland ferries do not offer an accessible service.
• The Burrick ferry service is not accessible.

Bus Services

• Local buses do not always display their destination and number clearly- trying to teach a person with a learning difficulty which bus to get on is very difficult. Using the timetable is one problem as it is not very accessible, and then the bus does not display the number or destination! It is also not clear how and when you have to alert the driver when you want to get off. In many places bus stops are not clearly marked.
• Bus services south are easier to use.
• Local buses do not have reserved seating at the front of the bus.

National Services
Air

• Finding information in large airports is very difficult.
• Location of check in for people with disabilities may change, it is not clearly signposted.
• Location of phones to contact hotels for courtesy transport is not always clear.
• Children travelling to hospital by air often require special postural seating and problems arise when travelling from Aberdeen and Edinburgh as the method of using an "ambulift chair" is very unsatisfactory and dangerous. This is very frightening for the children who have no upper body control. The availability of the passenger lift at Kirkwall has makes travel so much easier.
• It is not always possible for a disabled parent to be accompanied by children or dependants when taken early for boarding. The children are expected to board on their own when the other passengers board. This is a huge security risk and also very stressful for the children and parent.
• Queues:
  • It would be very helpful if there were a short queue option available for people with disabilities who wish to be independent and do not use the assistance service in the airport terminal. The queue at security can be very long and weaves an incredible distance.
  • There could also be a place where a person can gather their belongings after they have been security checked and rearrange them for easy carriage without other people pushing past or hurrying them.
  • This would also provide the place for parents/carers to calm their child or person with a learning difficulty after their precious possessions have been snatched from them and put into a black tunnel. They can be given back their items and helped while they stow their possessions away again, without causing embarrassment.

Bus

• Low floor buses with ramps are great! - Except when people stow their luggage in the space for the wheelchair.

Train

• There can be difficulties getting onto platforms and transferring to different platforms when changing trains.
• You are totally dependent on staff - who might or might not be there!
• All train travel for people using a wheelchair must be booked well in advance.
• You cannot always sit with the rest of your party, as the wheelchair space is located on its own - or the whole family may have to travel in the luggage compartment with you!
• If travelling alone, using the toilet is almost impossible as once you have got on a train, stowed luggage, settled into the seat and moved for numerous parents with buggies, manoeuvring around other travellers and getting your luggage and then trying to get into the disabled toilet which is probably in another compartment..

Taxi

• Many taxis do not take people in wheelchairs. Some taxis in Edinburgh display the accessible symbol, but the driver has a small printed card showing they are exempt from taking people in wheelchairs.