North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has called for much more to be done to improve disabled people’s access to public transport.
Speaking in the Assembly Debate on the Petitions Committee report on ‘Disabled People's Access to Public Transport’, Mr Isherwood expressed disappointment at the Cabinet Secretary for Transport’s response to the Report and urged him to address more of the concerns raised.
He said:
“In his response to the Petitions Committee Report, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport, Ken Skates AM, said he looks forward 'to working with the public transport sector, our local authorities and most importantly, disabled and older people to renew our efforts to transform our public transport into an inclusive and accessible network'. And, clearly, amen to that. However, whilst accepting the Petitions Committee's recommendations, much of his response then amounts to 'steady as we go'.
“On recommendation 1, he accepts that, but then goes on to say that 'The Welsh Government will continue to encourage public transport operators to adopt the “orange wallet” scheme' for bus and rail users across Wales. So, it's really to continue doing what we're doing. That recommendation also included calls for him to 'examine the feasibility of supporting its use in taxis and private hire vehicles.'
“There's no reference to that whatsoever in his acceptance of the recommendation that he has then failed to address. And this is particularly critical, given that last October, Disability Wales's findings, reported by BBC Wales, were that some taxi services in Wales were refusing to pick up passengers who use wheelchairs or assistance dogs, leaving them stranded and humiliated. Disability Wales then called on the Welsh Government to strengthen the laws against discriminating against disabled people.”
He added:
“If people are going to really develop disability awareness, they must get that training from the experts, and the only experts in this area are disabled people themselves. The National Deaf Children's Society have said: 'We believe that disability awareness training of transport staff in all sectors is imperative and that such training should include basic deaf awareness'. On a personal level, of course, I would support that, but that must involve people with hearing loss themselves.
After a constituent and friend faced problems on a Virgin Trains trip - a constituent and friend who is on the autism spectrum - I took up his case, and the positive outcome from this is that I'm taking him next month to Virgin Trains's Talent Academy near Crewe station for him to provide an autism awareness training session to their staff. That is the way we need to be going forward.
As Guide Dogs, the charity, say, the UK Government 'have agreed to make all buses accessible to people with sight loss and hearing loss'. They do credit the Welsh Government for having been the first Government in Britain to require operators to install audio visual next-stop announcements, but they then have asked me to ask you if there are any plans to consult with the UK Government to introduce common regulations and guidance across the two nations, because a lot of bus operators have routes that operate across England and Wales, and, of course, to fail to do so would create more barriers for people with sight loss.
“We've had legislation after legislation, good, well-meaning legislation that's supposed to be about designing and delivering services with people rather than for and to them, and yet we hear horror stories like wheelchair users still being denied access to the coastal path in Flintshire and the deaf community in Conwy having to go to the Ombudsman after the Council decommissioned their British Sign Language services - after the social services and well-being Act; after the well-being of future generations Act; and despite the Equality Act 2010. Come on, we need a big step change. Fifteen years, for me, here, waiting for the big step change is too long to wait and it's decades too long for people with impairments across Wales.”
Mr Isherwood added: “As the Equality and Human Rights Commission has said, concerted action is needed to ensure that essential services, such as housing, health and transport, meet the particular needs of disabled people and support their independence and well-being. “