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Minutes of the DPTAC Main Committee Meeting: 15 June 2005Chair: DPTAC Members: Observers: In Attendance: Agenda item 1: Welcome, introductions and apologies1. The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the new Minister for Transport, Karen Buck, who had been invited to meet Members and join in discussion. 2. Neil extended a special 'welcome back' to Ian Humes, Head of the Mobility and Inclusion Unit at the Department for Regional Development in Northern Ireland. Neil also welcomed Sandra Falconer Assistant Secretary to the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland and Maureen Sparks, observing from the Mobility and Inclusion Unit. 3. Members received apologies from Pravinkant Amin, Ann Bates, Jean Dunlop, Alan Norton , Keith Richards, Helen Cameron, Mike Spearing and Jean Wilson. 4. Neil Betteridge asked the Minister to talk about addressing the needs of disabled people in transport. 5. The Minster described her past experience and work around disability issues especially during her work for a charity specialising in employment for disabled people, recognising that disability is often defined by mobility and hidden disabilities and the needs of disabled people from black and ethnic minority groups were often overlooked. 6. The Minister also referred to identifying the needs of disabled people within families, children and young people with disabilities and the report Improving Life Chances Of Disabled People produced by the Prime Minster's Strategy Unit which set a vision for improving the life chances of disabled people. The report sets out practical measures in key areas such as: helping disabled people to achieve independent living: improving support for families with young disabled children: facilitating a smooth transition into adulthood and Improving support and incentives for getting and staying in employment. 7. The Minister recognised the achievement of organisations such as DPTAC in promoting inclusion policies which address the specific needs of disabled people to enable them to participate in society and enjoy the same facilities and quality of life that everyone else can. Members asked the following specific questions: 8. Neil Betteridge on behalf of Ann Bates, Chair of DPTAC Rail Working Group, "The Government will soon be consulted on a technical specification which will set out standards for rail vehicles that are used on rail in the European Union. There is a serious risk that his specification will allow vehicles onto UK railways that do not meet the current Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations. How do you plan to prevent this and how can DPTAC help". 9. The Minister responded that the Department for Transport is working with its European and social partners to help to ensure that the current standards and specifications are maintained. 10. Jenny Meadows, Chair of DPTAC Bus and Coach Working Group: "Comprehensive audio-visual announcement systems on buses would benefit up to nine million people with serious hearing and two million with serious sight difficulties. When will the Government be able to require these systems be fitted as standard?". 11. The Minister responded that the Department for Transport had carried out a pilot scheme in Leeds with the bus company Arriva and the outcome of the trial showed the need for further improvements to the technical specifications which the department were working to achieve. 12. Sean Bolton asked "The Secretary of State recently gave a high profile speech on road pricing. I believe the main argument is that we can use financial incentives to modify how and when people travel, and thereby reduce congestion. Arguably disabled drivers need to be influenced in this way. However, much public transport remains inaccessible to many disabled people who are reliant on their or another persons car. How are you taking account of this in developing your road pricing proposals?". 13. The Minister said that the needs of disabled people and older drivers would be taken into account and the issues subject to National debate. The Minister acknowledged that accessibility of public transport needed to be further improved and its use encouraged. Accessibility of the transport system was an essential component to achieving increased usage especially for disabled people. 14. Grahame Lawson, Chair of DPTAC Local Authority and Personal Mobility Working Group asked: "Our research on Attitudes of Disabled People to Public Transport showed that the state of roads and pavements was the biggest obstacle to travel by disabled people. It remains a problem even when taxis and buses are accessible. For example opposite this building (Great Minster House) bus drivers of the new "bendy buses" have difficulty deploying the ramp at the bus stop for wheelchair users because the footpath is obstructed by security bollard installed by the Home Office. Operators are also free to introduce, remove and re-route buses without notifying the highway authority so how can the infrastructure ever 'keep up' with the vehicles?". 15. The Minister responded that unfortunately there is no mechanism for co-ordinating these services centrally and it was the duty of vehicle operators to work effectively with local transport planners to achieve and maintain integration of transport systems. 16. David Finnegan asked about quality contracts for Passenger Transport Executives: "Outside of London, only between 40-45% of buses were accessible because of the age of the majority of bus fleets. Would the Government reiterate the message to PTE's to develop quality controls?". 17. The Minister acknowledged that the accessibility of buses in London was exceptional and that more work needed to be done to improve accessibility of vehicles and infrastructure throughout the country. Quality control was one option to achieving this. The Minister would be pursuing all options for improving bus accessibility with her officials in the Department. 18. Neil Betteridge thanked the Minister for attending the meeting and reminded her that the Committee were awaiting a decision from the Department on the recruitment of two Members to fill recent vacancies and to decide if she was prepared to use new legislation to make payment to DPTAC members for their services to the Committee. The Minister confirmed that DPTAC would be notified as soon as possible about these issues. Action point 1: Chair to write to Minister thanking her for attending and following up questions asked. Agenda item 2: Minutes of previous Main Committee meeting (9 March 2005)19. The Minutes were approved without amendment and the Secretariat would arrange for the agreed minutes to be placed on the DPTAC website. Action point 2: Secretariat to arrange for the minutes of 9 March Main Committee meeting to be placed on the website. Agenda item 3: Matters arising20. There were no points or issued raised under matters arising. Agenda item 4: Agenda item 4: Presentation on Accessible Transport Strategy for Northern IrelandOral report by Ian Humes, Head of Mobility and Inclusion Unit, Department for Regional Development (DRD), Northern Ireland. 21. Ian outlined the background to producing the Strategy on accessible transport for Northern Ireland. Ian said that the previous work of DPTAC had helped to lay the foundation behind the report strategy. 22. Ian explained that Northern Ireland has a regulated public transport system, 'Translink' which is the brand name of the three operating companies which operate scheduled bus and rail services in Northern Ireland, including cross-border and cross-channel links. The DRD had identified the need to remove barriers which prevents older people and people with disabilities using the transport system by integrating accessibility into the planning and operation of the transport systems. 23. In order to develop its Accessible Transport Strategy (ATS), the DRD undertook extensive consultation with key stakeholders including disabled people, the outcome of which helped to shape the strategy, and establish seven accessible transport strategic objectives and an action plan for accessible transport within the governments budgeting priorities for the financial years 2005-2008. 24. The ATS Strategic objectives are: Objective 1: To manage effectively the transition to a fully accessible transport network in partnership with key stakeholders to maximise the benefits for older people and people with disabilities. Objective 2: Ensure the Disability Discrimination Act requirements are met and affordable adjustments are made so that accessibility for people with disabilities is a condition of public money being spent on all new public transport investment. Objective 3: To develop in partnership with key stakeholders, an integrated, fully accessible public transport system which will enable older people and people with disabilities to travel by bus, train, taxi, private and community transport services in safety and in comfort and move easily between these modes. Objective 4: To enable older people and people with disabilities to travel safely using cars and other means of private transport. Objective 5: To address attitudinal and psychological barriers that prevent or discourage older people and people with disabilities from using transport services and facilities that are available to them. Objective 6: To ensure that information in a range of formats is available for all public transport services, including the full range of accessible services supported by the Department, to enable people to plan and make journeys easily. Objective 7: To provide help with travel costs to enable older people and people with disabilities to use the transport services available to them. 25. Neil Betteridge thanked Ian for his presentation and asked how the strategy would be monitored and evaluated with partners and key stakeholders. 26. Ian said that the Regional Transport Strategy Steering Group would have responsibility for monitoring progress on the ATS and the main source of advice on the needs of older people and disabled people was the Northern Ireland Transport Advisory Committees. The DRD will continue to work closely with them and other representative organisations to monitor the process. 27. Ian handed out some copies of the Accessible Transport Strategy and members could obtain further copies via the Secretariat. Action point 3: Secretariat to circulate Accessible Transport Strategy for Northern Ireland and the three presentations made at the meeting to Members who request them. Agenda item 5: Draft DPTAC Annual Report 200428. Members had been circulated the draft DPTAC Annual Report for 2004 and asked to comment on the text and use of photographs. Working Group chairs had previously commented on the sections relating to their particular groups. 29. Neil said that the Secretary of State would contribute a foreword. In addition to its availability in alternative formats, an easy read version of the Chair's summary would be made available. Members were invited to comment on the text and feedback any further thoughts to the Secretariat by 30 June. 30. Members commented on the following:
Action point 4: Members to forward further comments on the draft annual report to the Secretariat by 30 June 2005. Action point 5: Secretariat to obtain Ministerial foreword to Annual Report and proceed with publication and distribution. Agenda item 6: Disability Discrimination Act: DRC Transport CodePresentation by Will Bee, Disability Rights Commission 31. The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 allows the Government to lift the partial exemption of transport providers from the duties on providers of goods and services under the DDA. The Government had announced it's intention to use these powers and extend the DDA 1995 , with effect from the end of 2006, to provide full coverage for land based public transport providers - rail, bus, coach, light rail & tram, taxi & PHV, car rental, and breakdown services. 32. Will explained that the DRC were asked to provided a supplement to the existing Code of Practice to Part 3 of the DDA to help clarify what these new duties will mean for transport providers and the DRC have published a draft Code of Practice for consultation entitled "Supplement to Part 3 Code of Practice; provision and use of transport vehicles" for response by 19 August 2005. It should be noted that the exemption for airlines and ferries will, for the present, continue. 33. The Code of Practice helped to explain and interpret an Act of Parliament using simple language. It used examples to illustrate what was unlawful and what transport operators might do to fulfil their duties under the DDA. Will pointed out that the code did not go beyond what the law required to promote best practice or attempts to resolve borderline issues. It used realistic examples to illustrate simple points of law. 34. The key questions were whether the DRC had:
35. The consultation would close on 19 August and the Government hoped to issue final regulations by October 2005. The Code was due to be published in early 2006. DRC guidance for transport operators was scheduled for publication between May and August 2006. DRC planned a campaign to raise awareness of the code amongst disabled people in November 2006. The new duties would be due to come into effect by the end of 2006. 36. Neil said that DPTAC would work with the DRC on producing the Code and would feed Members comments into the consultation. Action point 6: Members to send Secretariat comments on the DRC's draft code on lifting the transport exemption from Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Agenda item 7: Implication of change in DPTAC remit and resources37. Neil explained that DPTAC had recently lost its non-statutory remit for the built environment because the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister had changed sponsorship of the Built Environment Group from the Department for Transport to the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. 38. Katherine Phipps reported that she had held a very positive meeting with Richard Simmons, Chief Executive of Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. The change had the potential to be a positive step which could help to embed the commitment to inclusive design at the heart of policy making and encourage professional institutions to design in accessibility at all stages of planning development. There could well be a concordat between DPTAC and the new group, like those with the DRC and MACS. 39. Neil pointed out that there would need to be changes in the staffing arrangements for the DPTAC Secretariat. In addition to losing the Built Environment remit, the Mobility and Inclusion Unit had to meet its staff reductions within the Department. This meant unfortunately, that the secretariat would be losing one of its administrative posts. 40. DPTAC therefore need to re-think how it could continue to be effective making more use of its current resources, for example increasing Members use of the conversation forums within its eDPTAC community website. 41. Neil summarised alternative proposals to reduce levels of activity to meet the new reductions in Secretariat resources these were:
42. Members were in general agreement with the proposals and Neil suggested that DPTAC could take this opportunity to review its future work by holding a Strategy Day before one of the next Main meetings. Members agreed that the Secretariat should organise a workshop event. Action point 7: Working Group Chairs to reduce the frequency of Working Group meetings to three each year and Secretariat to notify Members of calendar changes. Action point 8: Chair and Secretary to explore potential for a Members' Strategy Day to look strategically at DPTAC's longer term work. Action point 9: Secretary to explore transfer of applications for exemption from Vehicle Excise Duty by community transport vehicle operators to the Driver Vehicle Licensing Centre. Action point 10: Secretary and Carol Thomas to explore with the Welsh Assembly Government the potential for it setting up its own advisory group for Wales. Agenda item 8: Dissemination of primary school design and technology education materials43. Carol Thomas gave a presentation about the work of the Education and Training Working Group in developing innovative material in the form of a teacher pack and accompanying CD Rom, aimed at primary school children, to be used as a teaching resource tool for Design and Technology to teach the principles of accessible design, as part of the National Curriculum scheme of study. 44. Carol explained that the materials had been developed as part of a research project and piloted by teachers and their school children. The project would be launched at a teachers' seminar event in Sheffield on 8 July. The packs would be distributed to 26,000 primary schools in the UK to be used by schools in September. Agenda item 9. Progress Report on 2005-2006 Work Programme45. Neil reported that out of 26 work programme tasks, 22 are under way, one has been completed and only 3 have not been started. The suggested priorities were to:
Agenda item 10. Reports form Working Group Chairs47. Neil thanked the Working Group Chairs for the work they had put into preparing their reports. 48. In addition to the written updates, Members reported the following: Community Transport schemes in Wales 49. Carol Thomas reported that the Welsh Assembly had set aside funding for concessionary fares to pilot innovative schemes aimed to provide community transport in alternative ways. Accessible toilets on aircraft 50. David Finnegan asked the current position on the responses to the DPTAC draft specification for accessible toilets on aircraft. The Secretariat confirmed that the draft specification would be circulated to Main Committee members for comment. Action point 11: Secretariat to circulate the draft specification for accessible toilets on aircraft to Members for comment, when it is ready. Agenda item 11: Mobility and Inclusion Unit (MIU) Report51. Sue Sharp updated members on the work of the DfT Mobility and Inclusion Unit. Rail issues 52. Members raised the issue of what is happening to rail accessibility issues including the current consultation when the Strategic Rail Authority activities transfer to the MIU. Sue Sharp confirmed that a small team would be set up to carry over the work within her policy team. People with hearing impairments travelling on aircraft 53. Members asked for an update on discussions with the European Union countries on the refusal to permit people with hearing impairments travelling on European airlines. 54. Sue reported that this issue is on the agenda for the next European Commission for Air Council (ECAC) meeting in Brussels. The European Commission has published proposals to prevent discrimination against a disabled person booking onto, boarding or disembarking from aircraft. Payment for Main DPTAC Members 55. Neil asked for an update on the question of payment for DPTAC members. Sue Sharp said the MIU would be looking in the next few months at a legislative opportunity to include proposals for payment. Agenda item 12: Any other Business56. There were no further items of business. Date of next meeting: 14 September 2005 |
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