Annual Report 1997

8. Report of the Personal Mobility Working Group

Members
Jean Ashcroft - DPTAC
Peter Barker - DPTAC
Morigue Cornwell - Banstead Mobility Centre
Trevor Dobson - Association of Transport Co-ordinating Officers
Sir Peter Large - DPTAC
Martin Low - Traffic Director for London's Office
Ed Passant - Community Transport Association
Dorothy Rhodes - DPTAC
Janet Scammell - DPTAC
Cath Simpson - DPTAC

Observers
Ann Frye - DETR
Anne Gray - DETR
Sue Sharp - DETR

Secretariat
Helen Grech - DETR

The Group, which first met in October 1996, has a wide ranging remit which includes the general areas not covered by the more specific topic groups. Meetings are held quarterly - usually in Great Minster House.

The future of the Orange Badge Scheme has been a major item of discussion centring on eligibility and enforcement issues. Much relates to the wide variation in the number of discretionary badges issued in different parts of the UK. Draft recommendations are being prepared for submission to appropriate Ministers. The debate has also extended to the proposed European Parking Card for People with Disabilities which is the subject of ongoing discussion. The issue of Orange Badges is therefore likely to continue to feature in the discussions of the Group in 1998.

The pedestrian environment has also been a significant topic of discussion stemming initially from consideration of an extended range of tactile warning and directional guidance surfaces for use at pedestrian crossing points, public transport interchanges, areas shared by pedestrians and cyclists and elsewhere. An agreed final draft document was notified to the EC in Brussels in the Autumn of 1997. The debate on pedestrian provision continued into consultation on DETR experiments with diagonal controlled crossings at crossroad junctions and into the development of Government Strategy on encouraging walking as a mode of transport. Peter Barker and I are involved in separate external initiatives in this respect.

The Development and Funding of Mobility Centres is another continuing subject of discussion. This led to the 21st October meeting being held at the Department's MAVIS centre in Crowthorne so that members of the Group could experience the work involved at first hand. During 1998 the Group will be monitoring progress on such matters as raising the profile of such centres, the funding of them and the accreditation of training of instructors.

Other issues covered during the year included:

a) update of the Code of Practice on Facilities for Disabled Motorists at filling stations;

b) barrier and floor to ceiling heights in public car parks relative to high top conversions;

c) traffic restraint powers for local authorities;

d) the effect of the Disability Discrimination Act on public transport infrastructure and for door to door services; and

e) various other DETR consultations such as on the New Road and Street Works Act and the revised Highway Code.

Grahame Lawson
Chair

Personal Mobility Working Group - Work Programme 1998

1. Work with DETR to develop advice on the design of external built environment, including street furniture.

2. Participate in the DETR's Walking Strategy Steering Group to ensure that the needs of disabled pedestrians are properly reflected.

3. Monitor areas of conflict between the needs of disabled pedestrians and cyclists.

4. Work with relevant bodies to promote and monitor measures for improving personal mobility for disabled people as motorists, pedestrians and users of door to door services.

5. Submit a paper on the orange badge scheme to DETR Ministers and offer advice to them on the proposed EC parking card for disabled people.

6. Monitor Government proposals to reduce car dependency.

7. Publish the revised Code of Practice on Facilities for Disabled Motorists at Filling Stations.

8. Examine the future role of door to door transport as part of the accessible transport mix.

Terms of Reference for the Personal Mobility Working Group

1. The membership of the Group will be agreed with the Chair of the Group and the Chairman of the DPTAC. Membership will be limited to no more than twenty members.

2. The membership of the Group will include representatives from disability and other appropriate interests.

3. The Group will normally meet at least four times a year.

4. The Chair of the Group will generally be a full time member of the DPTAC and will make a report on the Group's work to each meeting of DPTAC.

5. The Group will:

   a) consider issues affecting elderly and disabled people as motorists, users of special services and pedestrians;

   b) consider requests from DETR and other Government Departments to DPTAC for guidance/advice on policy issues and make recommendations to DPTAC on those issues;

   c) undertake such work as they, in consultation with DPTAC, consider necessary to progress the interests of disabled people in relation to personal mobility;

   d) raise issues, through DPTAC, for consideration by the DETR;

   e) draw up guidance and codes of practice, as necessary, for clearance by DPTAC for publication as formal DPTAC advice; and

   f) provide advice to DPTAC, on consultation papers from Government and other organisations.

6. All papers submitted to the Group will be confidential to its members and details discussed within the Group should not be discussed with third parties, without prior agreement of the Secretariat.

Published 3 June 1998

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