The ‘postcode lottery’ of transport for disabled people must end, report says

The UK’s lack of coherent inclusive transport strategies has failed disabled people. Transport accessibility must become consistent across nations and modes to ensure disabled people can make seamless door-to-door journeys.

The Accessible Transport Policy Commission is part of the National Centre for Accessible Transport (NCAT) and convened by a cross-party group of parliamentarians. It has now launched its first report: Joined-Up Policies, Joined-Up Journeys: Roadmapping Accessible Transport for the UK and Devolved Governments.

The report sets out five-year roadmaps to improve transport accessibility policy and regulation in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

UK transport for disabled people shows huge accessibility gap

Denied access to transport systems that are equitable, consistent, and inclusive by design, disabled people make 38% fewer journeys than non-disabled people across the UK transport system. NCAT research has found that 92% of disabled people face barriers when using at least one mode of transport.

The exclusion caused by inaccessible transport prevents disabled people from fully contributing their talents, skills, and perspectives. It stifles the ambition of policymakers to build a healthy, prosperous, and successful society because it limits disabled people’s access to employment, housing, health, and culture. The organisation’s research shows this has a disproportionate impact on disabled people from marginalised and lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Across the UK, fragmented governance, outdated frameworks, and faltering policy delivery is causing barriers to transport. Notably, the Commission’s report has highlighted the “postcode lottery” this creates for disabled people. Crucially, this is the result of inconsistent accessible transport standards, ineffective transport regulators, and a lack of integration between different transport modes.

These systemic challenges and the highly devolved nature of UK transport policy mean that better coordination between policymakers is vital to enabling more equitable and inclusive travel. The report also urges policy makers to bring disabled people – whose experiences and expertise are often overlooked – into decision making processes. Future reforms must embed co-production at all stages.

Joined-Up Policies, Joined-Up Journeys outlines a practical vision for standardising transport accessibility practices and integrating transport across the UK. The report’s recommendations put coproduction at the heart of a series of five-year national roadmaps that pave the way for operational, strategic, and legislative reforms to how policymakers can develop transport policies and evaluate them.

A ‘practical vision for standardising transport accessibility’ throughout the UK

For individual nations, the NCAT report recommends that:

England

Year 1: The forthcoming Integrated National Transport Strategy should develop an accessible transport framework. This should involve the government forming a ministerial taskforce across departments to deliver it.

Year 2-3: The government should establish an ‘Accessible Transport Standards Commission’ and UK-wide ‘Disability Transport Taskforce’. These would update and review accessible transport frameworks and regulation.

Year 4-5: Conduct an England-specific review of the impact of the accessibility design and training standards. Alongside this, the government should publish annual accessibility enforcement and compliance summaries.

Wales

Year 1: Establish a ‘National Accessibility Advisory Panel’ to advise ministers and integrate Disability Rights Taskforce Working Group for Travel’s recommendations and the Accessible Transport Plan into Llwybr Newydd.

Year 2-3: Contribute to a UK-wide ‘Disability Transport Taskforce’. This would ensure strategic alignment, and establish local access plans. It would work with local authorities and corporate joint committees in Wales.

Year 4-5: Conduct a Wales-specific review of the impact of the accessibility design and training standards. Mandate accessibility and disability awareness training for all public-facing transport staff and managers within Transport for Wales.

Disabled people deserve better

The NCAT report further recommends:

Scotland

Year 1: Begin co-production of the Accessible Travel Framework for post-2026 that is in line with the National Transport Strategy 2. This should involve a cross-departmental taskforce established to deliver the framework.

Year 2-3: Contribute to a UK-wide Disability Transport Taskforce to ensure strategic alignment. Mandate accessibility and disability awareness training for all public-facing transport staff and managers within Transport Scotland.

Year 4-5: Conduct a Scotland-specific review of the impact of the accessibility design and training standards, alongside the publishing of annual accessibility enforcement and compliance summaries.

North of Ireland

Year 1: Publish an inclusive transport strategy for NI and establish a cross-departmental ministerial taskforce on Accessible Transport. Set up more community accessibility panels at the district council level, linked to rural partnerships.

Year 2-3: Reform the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to introduce protection from indirect discrimination. Mandate accessibility and disability awareness training for all public-facing transport staff and managers within Department for Infrastructure.

Year 4-5: Conduct an NI-specific review of the impact of the accessibility design and training standards. Alongside this, NI should publish annual accessibility enforcement and compliance summaries.

Featured image via the Canary