Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-05-19.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to require bus operators to make buses disability friendly.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Single deck buses designed to carry over twenty two passengers on local and scheduled routes must already comply with the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR), including incorporating a designated wheelchair space and boarding facilities, priority seating and colour-contrasting hand-holds. Double deck buses must comply by the 1st January next year, and coaches by 2020. As at 2014/15, 95% of buses in England were low floor or had an accessibility certificate, compared to 80% in 2009/10.
Positive driver interactions and accessible on-board information also make a big difference for many disabled passengers. We are developing best practice guidance on providing disability awareness training for drivers, and have supported innovative approaches for providing next stop information on-board vehicles.
