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A leading expert on accessible transport has quit his role as a government adviser after accusing ministers of backing policies on de-staffing the rail network that discriminate against disabled rail passengers, and ignoring his committee’s advice. Matthew Smith, a key member […]
The UK’s largest rail operator has admitted that it has been breaching access laws for more than 10 years across large parts of its rail network, a leaked document has revealed. The Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) document shows the company* has […]
The government’s own advisers on accessible transport have raised serious concerns about plans to install inaccessible vertical bike racks in the carriages that will be used on the HS2 high speed railway. The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) has told […]
The government’s advisers on accessible transport have told ministers they do not believe that their proposals for reforming the rail system will be enough to deliver an accessible railway. The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) says in its response to a public […]
Under-fire transport secretary Grant Shapps is refusing to say if he will apologise after misleading MPs about the government’s progress in installing life-saving tactile paving on railway platforms across the country. Shapps is already at the centre of a fierce political […]
Parts of the rail network are set to become even more inaccessible to many disabled people if the government presses ahead with proposals to close all ticket offices in England, campaigners have warned. The Sunday Times reported this week that plans […]
The government’s own advisory committee is set to publish a string of controversial reports that have previously been kept secret, and which could expose years of ministerial failings on accessible transport. The reports and other documents drawn up by the Disabled […]
The government has refused to promise to accelerate the long-delayed installation of tactile paving on railway platforms across the country, despite an inquest finding that the lack of safety markings played a part in a disabled man’s death. The government has […]
The government is being asked to tighten the law to stop the “horrendous” discrimination disabled people are facing from ferry companies that refuse to allow them to travel for safety reasons. Matthew Smith, a retired lecturer in marine engineering and health […]
The current “wheelchair standard” used to ensure that vehicle and infrastructure designs across the transport sector are spacious enough only covers about half of all mobility aids used by disabled people in the UK, according to a government study. The new […]