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Accessible Travel Regional Action Forum Event

Ayrshire

Summary report

Introduction

This is a short report summarising findings from the discussions at the

Accessible Travel Regional Action Forum Event. The event was held on

12 September 2019 at Fullarton ConneXions, Irvine. Disability Equality

Scotland, together with North Ayrshire Access Panel organised the

event on behalf of Transport Scotland, which brought together disabled

people, transport providers and different equalities organisations. In

total, 53 delegates attended on the day.

Presentations

Emma Scott, from Disability Equality Scotland set the context of the day

by introducing the Accessible Travel Framework, which is the

Government’s ten-year plan to improve public transport for disabled

people. Discussions from this event will contribute to measuring the

progress of the framework by gathering local views on accessible travel

in Ayrshire.

Emma shared that the framework has four main outcomes it wants to

achieve before 2026, which was intended to help shape discussions at

the event:

• More disabled people make successful door-to-door journeys more

often, this means ensuring that disabled people have the support

they need to travel whenever and however they want.

• Disabled people are more involved in the design, development and

improvement of transport this is about ensuring that disabled

people’s views are considered at all stages of transport provision.

• The third aim is that everyone involved in delivering transport

information, services and infrastructure will help to enable disabled

people to travel, this means that people working at all levels in

transport services, from the top-level managers to the bus drivers

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understand the needs and wishes of different people with different

support needs.

• Disabled people feel comfortable and safe using public transport

and this specifically means being free from hate crime, bullying

and harassment when travelling.

Emma also reported back findings from the short survey issued before

the event, to gather views on public transport. Key findings included:

• Trains are the most popular mode of transport (80%) followed by

buses (67%) and taxis (57%)

• Half the respondents (50%) had experienced difficulties changing

between modes of transport

• People were familiar with passenger assistance (79%) but not

familiar with the Thistle Assistance Card (11%)

• Highest satisfaction is with the train (90%) ferry (90%) community

transport (88%) and taxi (85%)

• 43% did not think transport information was accessible for them

Transport providers

ScotRail The event welcomed a number of transport providers. James

Ledgerwood, Head of Economic Development and Communities at

ScotRail, spoke of the work they have been doing to improve

accessibility:

• ScotRail operates over 2,300 services per day and 93 million

passenger journeys. The aim is to deliver 129m passenger

journeys by 2025.

• There are 7,200 staff and 358 stations across Scotland.

• In Ayrshire the electrified rail service has been introduced,

improving the quality of the service.

• This is a significant investment period, with ScotRail spending half

a billion every year.

• Queen Street Station in Glasgow is undergoing a transformation,

with platforms being lengthened, with better customer space, a

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new fully accessible changing places toilet, and will allow people to

access the two main stations in Glasgow in shorter time.

• ScotRail are upgrading and improving existing toilet facilities.

There is a new Changing Places Toilet at Dundee.

• New electric trains are running between Glasgow and Edinburgh,

with better space for wheelchairs and markings on chairs to let

people know they are for those with assistance needs.

• ScotRail have developed a Stakeholder Equality Group which

meets four times a year to discuss customer experience

challenges and investment.

• Accessibility remains a key priority. Passenger assistance is key

to this. ScotRail are working with different disability groups to

improve passenger assistance. ScotRail has the lowest time for

passengers to contact in advance and the aim is to reduce the

booing time to one-hour.

• ScotRail is the first rail company to introduce a BSL app for

customers, which means that if someone using BSL comes to the

station, and needs to talk to a member of staff, they all have an

app which takes them to a BSL trained person who can sign the

message and pass on the information to the member of staff.

• ScotRail also focuses on hidden disabilities and have launched

new cards for people to use which say ‘Please offer me a seat’ or

‘I’d like some help please’ reminding travelers that not all

disabilities are visible.

“Accessibility is the number one thing for us and we don't want to do it

just because legislation tells us to, but because you are all customers.

We want more customers to travel on our trains as it's better for

everyone and the environment, so accessibility is a key priority.”

ScotRail

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South Ayrshire Community Transport Catriona Haston from South Ayrshire Community Transport talked about

the organisation’s impact in combatting social isolation and loneliness.

• Community Transport is non-profit making for members of the

community who do not have access to conventional public

transport services. There is no standard model and they respond

to community need.

• The mission is to combat social isolation by connecting people and

places. 30% of the population live in a rural area or small village,

where public transport is lacking.

• SACT has found that there's a lack of affordable transport for those

with additional support needs. There is not a taxi service with

wheelchair access in one area in Ayrshire.

• They undertake journeys on behalf of South Ayrshire Council, taking

people to day centres and helping pupils with additional support

needs to transition from door-to-door taxi services so they can use

public transport with confidence by the time they leave school.

• SACT also pick people up from their own homes, such as for lunch

clubs. We have scheduled bus runs and a MyBus service in the

South Carrick area for SPT which is wheelchair accessible and we

also offer MiDAS training, which is helpful for drivers of community

groups. It's good to have that training, an extra level of security for

users.

• SACT also set up a car club, using electric vehicles which are hired

out to let people use them for GP or hospital appointments, etc.

“Door to Door collection is the best thing to have happened to me as I

find it difficult to walk too far. This is the reason I joined the club. Do

hope it will continue.”

SACT user

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StageCoach Fiona Docherty is Managing Director of Stagecoach Scotland. She gave

her commitment to working with local people to deliver a better service

for everyone:

• Fiona covers the area from Stranraer to Arran, Greenock,

Cumbernauld and South Lanarkshire. She has 1,000 staff and

covers 24 million miles a year.

• Stagecoach are committed to understanding what they do well and

what can be done better.

• Key for Stagecoach is to deliver affordability, service reliability and

accessibility. They are committed to getting the service right.

“Transport is in high demand and we fulfil your needs, so understanding

them is crucial. That’s the challenge. Getting operators to work together

and communities and local authorities involved; it has to be collective to

be a success.”

Stagecoach Thistle Assistance Card Keith Fiskin is the Programmes Manager for SESTran, the South East of

Scotland Transport Partnership. SEStran is one of seven regional

transport partnerships working across Scotland. Keith introduces the

Thistle Assistance Card:

• The Thistle Assistance Card can be carried by passengers who

require assistance and shown to the driver when boarding the bus

to indicate that assistance is required.

• It is intended to help people to travel with confidence, irrespective

of their circumstances.

• The challenge is making people aware that not all disabilities are

visible, and that some people have progressive or hidden

disabilities.

• SEStran are hoping to build a Hub for transport related issues

around mobility so people can share their journey stories and work

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with providers, and local authorities to make the network more

accessible. SEStran will share these stories with transport

providers to help educate around the needs of disabled people.

Group discussions

The delegates were split into groups and asked to discuss their own

experiences of travelling on public transport and the impact this has on

independent travel. Below are some of the findings from these

discussions.

Accessibility There were mixed experiences from delegates of using public transport

in Ayrshire. Some people with reduced mobility had experienced

problems with getting onto Stagecoach buses. There was recognition

from delegates that Stagecoach had introduced a new fleet of low-level

buses, which are designed to improve access for wheelchair users and

people with reduced mobility. However, some people found it difficult to

determine which services were running the new fleet of low-level

accessible buses.

“It can be a lottery to find a bus that is accessible for me.”

Delegates were pleased that lifts had recently been installed at

Kilwinning railway station, allowing for step-free access across all four of

the platforms at the station. There was consensus amongst delegates

that continued investment is required to ensure that similar

improvements are made to stations across Ayrshire.

“The improvements at Kilwinning station are long overdue and as a

wheelchair user I can finally access all platforms.”

There has been frustration by the ongoing problems at Ayr Railway

Station. An exclusion zone was introduced after the nearby station hotel

was deemed structurally unsafe. This resulted in disruption to train

services and temporary station facilities. A new station is due to be built

and it is vital that it is designed to be accessible.

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“The disruption at Ayr station is an absolute joke. This is a very busy

station and we need modern, accessible facilities ASAP!”

Infrastructure Discussions indicated that the surrounding area to bus stops and

stations can also cause disabled people difficulty. This includes broken

pavements, parked cars on pavements and overgrown trees and bushes

making the streets difficult to navigate.

“Trees overgrown on route from house to station which causes difficulty,

it is getting off-putting to even get to the station. This should be

maintained automatically.”

“Temporary bus stops, cars parked at bus stops so bus can’t get into

kerb to put ramp down.”

Attitudes of staff and members of the public

Discussions also covered the attitudes and actions of bus drivers in

Ayrshire. One attendee stated that some bus drivers will drive off before

a wheelchair user has secured themselves in the designated space.

Attendees recognised that drivers can be under pressure to stick to their

timetable; however, this does not excuse putting passengers at risk.

“I’ve almost fallen out of my wheelchair as I make my way onto the bus,

as the driver speeds away from the stop, almost oblivious to the danger

that they are putting me in.”

Some delegates felt that there is still confusion from members of the

public over who has the priority to use the designated space on buses.

A recent supreme court ruling means that bus companies should have

clear policies in place and give training to drivers to remove the barriers

wheelchair users face when using buses. Despite this ruling, one

attendee said that a member of the public with a push chair refused to

move from the designated space. The driver did not intervene which

resulted in the wheelchair user having to wait for the next available bus.

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There was a call for more disability awareness training to be given to

transport providers, and for this to be delivered by disabled people to

ensure staff could get a real understanding of the impact of disability on

peoples’ ability to travel independently.

“The experience of the customer can depend on staff attitude. Bad

attitudes can have a negative impact. Mostly services are great but

disabled people need a level of empathy. Some drivers don’t understand

the needs of disabled people and need training.”

Hate crime

The attitudes and behaviors of the general public are closely linked to

incidents of hate crime. There is an ongoing problem with anti-social

behavior at stations and on public transport. This kind of behavior can

lead to confrontation and discourages disabled people from using public

transport.

“In the evenings, travelling on public transport can be very frightening

and I am terrified that I will be targeted because of my disability.”

Information and signage

Delegates felt that transport providers still do not go far enough when it

comes to producing information in formats that are accessible. For

those with visual impairments, there was a need to have information

printed in text that was large enough to be accessible. In Edinburgh,

some buses have information available in BSL to show which stop was

next. This was an example of good practice that should be rolled out

nationally. Equally ScotRail was recognised for using Contact Scotland

BSL to communicate with deaf and BSL using passengers.

“The text on bus timetables is often very small and I have no chance of

reading it.”

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“Edinburgh airport have information translated into BSL on the bus so

you know what stop you are at. This should be national across all

transport modes.”

For deaf people, or those with hearing loss, information relayed over

audio announcements are missed, meaning vital information does not

get through to passengers.

“When the screens do not reflect changes to platforms or delays etc and

only use the tannoy, it is a barrier for deaf people who miss

announcements. Many times I have missed meetings because of this.”

Some delegates suggested that having a dedicated information point at

stations for assistance very much helps to alleviate unnecessary stress

for disabled passengers.

There were also calls to have Real Time Information available on buses,

announcing which stop was next, as they do on trains.

Booking tickets and passenger assistance There were some common experiences among participants of difficulty

booking passenger assistance, especially if travelling with a companion.

Many disabled people do not have access to the internet and prefer to

conduct their transactions face-to-face or by telephone, but some

transport providers have insisted that assistance is booked online.

“When booking assistance it has to be online or via telephone,

impossible for deaf-blind people so I went into the station to be told it

has to be done online, that meant I lost some independence as I had to

ask my partner or guide to do it for me. Fortunately now using Contact

Scotland BSL means I can now contact companies by using the online

app.”

Others had experienced discrimination when arriving at the station and

seeking assistance without booking ahead, and staff informing the

disabled person that they cannot help them without a booking.

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There were concerns by the accessibility arrangements at unstaffed

railways stations. One attendee explained that despite pre-booking

passenger assistance, when the train arrived at the station, the on-board

staff were unprepared and could not provide a ramp for the passenger to

board the train. In another case, an attendee pre-booked passenger

assistance, when the train arrived, the designated space for a mobility

scooter was already taken by another passenger.

“When will the day come when I can travel by rail without having to rely

on station staff to get me on and off the train? Don’t get me wrong, the

staff are nice and friendly, but I want to be able to travel independently.”

Involved in design A common theme was that disabled people wanted to be involved in the

design of services. This needs to be from the first point of planning and

before decisions are made. Disabled people suggested conducting

accessibility audits of new stations and that trains could be designed

more practically, so that disabled people were not always positioned

beside the toilet.

“Any changes made to layout of stations, before any decisions are made

– disabled people would like the opportunity to test out the stations in an

accessibility assessment.”

“Design of trains, wheelchair position is beside the loos, it is degrading.

Better design needed.”

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What needs to change?

Delegates spent time discussing the priorities for change and how

disabled people and other members of the community could be involved

in this.

• Transport providers must engage with disabled people – Local

providers in Ayrshire must engage with disabled people and

Access Panels during the design phase to ensure public transport

is suitable for people’s varying needs.

• Training: Transport providers must provide their staff with

disability awareness training. Effective training must be designed

and delivered by disabled people.

• Local authorities working together – Each local authority tend to

design infrastructure to direct people to the larger towns/cities

within each region. This makes travelling to different local

authority areas more challenging. If local councils can work closer

together, this can improve nationwide transport links.

• Influence town planning – To create sustainable communities,

town planners must take transport into greater consideration when

deciding on where to build new housing.

• Cultural shift is needed – Hate crime can be tackled by effective

campaigning to change people’s attitudes.

• Funding - Funding is required to achieve meaningful change

In summary Delegates had experiences of public transport which were both positive

and negative. There were some good practice examples identified, but

more often than not, frustrations came from things that could easily be

rectified, such as accessible information, or increased staff training.

It was clear that disabled people wanted the opportunity to influence

transport provision and would welcome the chance to meet and discuss

their experiences in more detail with providers.

This event has identified several areas where improvements could be

made to the provision of transport in Ayrshire and Disability Equality

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Scotland will work with Transport Scotland to raise these issues locally

with a view to returning to the area to check on progress.

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Appendix 1 Some photographs from the day.

Emma Scott from Disability Equality Scotland welcoming everyone.

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James Ledgerwood, ScotRail

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Catriona Haston, South Ayrshire Community Transport

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Keith Fisken, SEStran Thistle Card

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Fiona Docherty, Stagecoach