Annual Report 2000

Other important developments

Transport 2010:
The 10 year plan for transport was published in July 2000 setting out plans for £180 billion of expenditure, of which £132 billion will be public funding. The Plan aims to deliver a bigger and better railway, improvements to the country's strategic road network, improvements to local transport, including buses, light rail, trams, walking and cycling, and extra money for improving transport in London.

The 10 Year Plan also includes proposals

• To extend fuel duty rebate to more community transport services which will benefit those disabled people unable to travel by public transport.
• For half fare or better on the buses for elderly and disabled people.
• For 6,000 new rail coaches which will be compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 1998.

Transport 2010 also included a commitment in paragraph 6.5 making access for disabled people a condition of public money being spent. DETR will be developing mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating this commitment during 2001 and DPTAC will be seeking to provide advice on its implementation. Further details on DPTAC's advice on the development of the 10 year plan is contained in section 1.

Local Transport Plans and Strategies:
The first full local transport plans in England were submitted in July 2000. The Government announcement on the local transport settlement was made to Parliament by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

The decision letters to all local authorities announcing the settlement stated that the LTP guidance placed particular emphasis on the transport and mobility needs of disabled people across all local transport modes. It also made authorities aware of the condition set out in the Government's 10-Year Plan:

"Building in accessibility for disabled people in all new investment is a condition of public money being spent." (para 6.5, Transport 2010)

The Government recognise that LTP's were drawn up before publication of the 10-year Plan, but will expect the annual LTP progress reports to demonstrate how this condition is being met in transport infrastructure projects which impact on disabled people as pedestrians, public transport users and as motorists. Local transport strategies in Scotland will be expected to meet the same criteria.

The London Boroughs are required to produce Local Implementation Plans taking into account the Mayors Transport Strategy. DPTAC has been advising on the Mayors Strategy and the need to follow through implementation in the Local Implementation Plans.

The Urban and Rural White Papers:
In November 2000, DETR issued Urban and Rural White papers. The Urban White Paper aims to make towns and cities better places for people and includes recognition that everybody should be included. DPTAC will consider relevant issues through its working groups during 2001.

The Rural White Paper and related issues will be considered by a special task group established by DPTAC with a view to reporting on the particular transport issues relevant to disabled people by mid-2001.

EC Air Passengers' Charter:
The European Commission, working with the European Civil Aviation Conference, are developing an Air Passengers' Charter which will set out the principles under which passengers receive air services. DPTAC has been contributing to the development of the Charter, ensuring the basic principles relevant to disabled people are included. The intention of the EC is to issue the Charter in early summer 2001.

One of the major issues under discussion during 2000 was funding of assistance for disabled air passengers. The consensus emerging at European level is that the costs of providing assistance should be spread over all passengers and absorbed into airport overheads. If this is finally agreed it will represent a major advance for disabled people.

Fuel Duty Rebate/Concessionary Fares:
The Government's ten year transport plan included the principle of extending Fuel Duty Rebate (FDR) to community transport. Eligible community transport services have been defined based on work by CfIT, and DETR plan to consult on the practicalities involved in implementing the extension.

Quite separately, the discussions are also considering best practice in concessionary fares and availability on other modes, including taxis, private hire vehicles and long distance coaches.

Published 20 July 2001

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