Attitudes of disabled people to public transport:
Research study

What are the transport priorities of disabled people?

• In many respects, the transport priorities of disabled people differ very little from the general population as a whole - wanting more frequent services, more comfortable services, lower cost services
• Improving disabled access is also a key priority
• Improving the attitudes of transport staff is a key priority and would encourage greater use of public transport
• Disabled people find taxis/minicabs the easiest mode of transport to use because of their flexibility but serious problems remain for some disabled people
• Rail services are the most difficult mode to use, with four in ten disabled people saying this
• Bus drivers are perceived to be the least customer sensitive from a list of transport staff
• Confirmed availability of wheelchair spaces is a key issue for wheelchair users

Transport Priorities

When asked to spontaneously name which two or three things about transport which should have the highest priority over the next few years, respondents are most likely to mention the frequency of public transport. This is cited by 19% of disabled people and is ten percentage points ahead of the next most mentioned issue, disabled access on public transport (9%).

Free or cheaper transport for disabled people is mentioned by 8% overall but by 20% of those aged 16-34. Improving and repairing road and pavements (8%) is also on the agenda.

Overall, all mentions relating to aspects of improved access for disabled people account for 26% of responses, making this the major concern, slightly behind service frequency (28%).

There are some differences in priorities between the subgroups. The top priorities of those aged 35-44 are for staff and drivers to be more helpful and friendly (mentioned by 13%) and improving wheelchair access on public transport (13%). Those who are working are most concerned with frequency (32%), cheaper travel (17%) and punctuality (10%) of public transport.

As might be expected, wheelchair users are more concerned with wheelchair access (22%) as their top priority, disabled access (14%), and more use of ramps and lifts (11%).

The top priority for all other disability groups is service frequency. The second most mentioned by those with ambulant disabilities is disabled access to public transport (12%). For those with visual impairments it is improving transport in general (9%). Those with hearing impairments, after frequency, are most concerned with punctuality (9%). Finally, those with learning difficulties rate free/cheaper transport as the second most important priority (11%).

The qualitative research revealed that in many respects the transport priorities of disabled people differ little from those of the population as a whole - more frequent services, more comfortable services, lower cost services. However, many, but not all, disabled people are dependent on these services and as such they feel the failures of the transport system even more than the general public.

The specific problems and priorities for disabled people beyond those outlined above also emerged in the qualitative research. These tended to focus on the problem of access to public transport, for example getting to remote bus stops, train stations and once there being able to get on public transport. Improvements to both buses and trains in this respect are regarded as long overdue. Improvements in the pedestrian environment are also seen as crucial. Many participants drew stark contrasts with public transport systems abroad (for example in USA, Europe) where they believe accessible buses and trains are far more the norm.

Ease of Using Different Transport Services

Attitudes towards Transport Staff

In addition to taxi/minicabs being considered the easiest transport service to use, taxi and minicab drivers are also rated as the most helpful transport staff. Three-quarters of disabled people say they find taxi/minicab drivers helpful. A similar proportion (73%) say this for airline cabin crew, compared with only 44% for bus drivers, 43% for rail station staff and 34% for on train staff. Taxi and minicab staff also achieve the highest ratings on all the positive attributes mentioned: patient, friendly, polite, and cheerful.

Bus drivers are rated as the most unhelpful, with 20% of respondents saying that they are unhelpful, compared with 13% for train station staff, 6% for both on train staff and taxi drivers, and just 2% for airline stewards. Again, bus drivers are rated as the most impatient, rude and miserable and unfriendly of transport staff.

The overall dissatisfaction with transport staff is clear from the qualitative findings. Disabled people feel that transport staff (particularly bus drivers and train station staff) are not sufficiently trained about disabled people's needs. Bus drivers are regarded as particularly insensitive. The problem seems to be a basic lack of awareness of the problems disabled passengers face - to some extent indicative of the attitude of the population as a whole. Disabled people would like to see transport companies taking a lead in training their staff in disability equality and awareness and advertising the fact that they are doing this.

For me, training and awareness is the top priority.

Half the bus drivers are very ignorant, they won't wait at all. They drive like lunatics, sometimes you're bouncing about because of they way they drive.

Some bus drivers don't even stop if you're only twenty yards from the bus stop. That happened the other day, he drove straight past.

With disabled people you can't just have the general training. They're not willing to spend money on the staff.

When they used to have the conductor he would announce the stop. So you would know where to get off. We ask the bus conductor or bus driver now to drop us at a stop and they forget.

It is encouraging to note, however, that compared with the general public as a whole^[15], disabled people are more likely to rate transport staff as more helpful (except train station and on train staff), patient, friendly and polite. For example, 75% of disabled people rate taxi and minicab drivers as helpful compared with 51% of the general public.

Despite this, improving staff attitudes is a key issue and is one way to encourage a switch to - or greater use of - public transport. Almost half of disabled people (47%) say they would travel by public transport more if staff were better trained to deal with their needs, in particular those aged 16-44 (66%), wheelchair users (67%) and rail users (62%).

Ratings of Transport Modes

Respondents were asked to rate a range of issues associated with each form of transport in terms of how good or poor they think they are. From this we can see what are the best and worst aspects of each mode. To make easy comparison of the data we have computed the net 'good' score in each case. The net good score is the total percentage of respondents who rate an aspect as poor deducted from the total percentage of respondents who rate an aspect as good. The result is either positive (+) or negative(-) and demonstrates the overall balance of opinion of respondents. A positive score means that more people think that it is good than poor, while a negative score means more people rate it poor than good.

Overall, it can be seen that personal security is rated highly on the majority of services whereas the availability of wheelchair spaces is rated poorly.

Looking across the modes, we can see how each compares on the different aspects.

Rated highest on personal security are taxis and minicabs (net good +70%), with light rail, trams and the Underground rated lowest (net good +15%).

Cars are rated the least expensive, by having the highest positive rating for cost of travel (net good +28%) compared with taxis and minicabs which are rated the lowest and therefore the most expensive (net good -10%). This is in line with perceptions of the general public who also do not include the annual running costs of the private car in comparison with the cost of travelling by public transport.

The design of new vehicles to meet the needs of disabled people is rated highest for ferries (net good +13%), and lowest for trains (net good -24%).

Making travel arrangements is seen to be best by taxis and minicabs (net good +68%) and worst by train (net good +12%).

The ease of reading signs is rated highest for cars (net good +31%) and lowest for trains (net good +11%).

Rated highest on punctuality and reliability are planes (net good +60%) and lowest is buses (net good +2%).

Frequency of service is seen to be best for taxi/minicabs (net good +57%) and worst for buses (net good -6%).

The availability of wheelchair spaces is also rated highest on ferries (net good +11%), although these spaces are not specifically designated, and lowest on trains (net good -31%).

Whereas ease of access is best on planes (net good +46%), trains again score worst (-16%).

Attitudes towards several of these service attributes - punctuality, frequency and personal security - were asked of the general public in the CfIT (2001) survey. Comparison with these findings show that disabled people are less positive about the Underground than the general public (although it should be noted that for CfIT the question was asked just about the London Underground and for DPTAC it was for light rail, trams and Underground). In contrast, disabled people are more positive about personal security on buses and trains, than the general public as a whole.

Cars

The most highly rated aspect of cars are personal security (net good +61%) and the ease of making travel arrangements (net good +43%). The worst aspects are the lack of effective controls of disabled parking spaces (net good -19%) and the number of disabled car parking spaces available (net good -9%).

Disabled people do not feel that there is adequate enforcement of parking restrictions at the present. Only 19% agree with the statement 'There is adequate enforcement of car parking restrictions', whereas 39% disagree. Within this, 18% tend to disagree, and 21% strongly disagree and 31% answer 'don't know'.

Those most likely to disagree with this statement are wheelchair users (66%), disabled drivers (59%), social class C1C2 (50%), those with visual impairments (50%), 45-59 year olds (49%) and ambulant disabled people (43%).

Taxis and Minicabs

Taxis and minicabs are rated highly on personal security and the ease of making travel arrangements. However, the cost of travel (net good -10%) is seen as a downside for this form of transport, as is the lack of new vehicles designed to meet the needs of wheelchair users and people with an ambulant disability.

In the qualitative research, the key issue with taxis was cost. There was also a feeling that conventional minicab services are not suitably adapted to the needs of wheelchair users. Outside metropolitan centres taxis tend to be unadapted cars - for some disabled people (such as wheelchair users who wish to remain seated in their chairs) this causes severe difficulties getting in and out of the vehicle. The solution is to use specially adapted taxi services, which are available in some areas - though these services tend to be more expensive.

Why should people with disabilities have to pay extra? Just inconvenience isn't it to have people with wheelchairs. They buy a taxi that's been converted or a vehicle that's been converted to take wheelchairs, then they charge extra to take the wheelchair. So if they didn't want to have wheelchairs with passengers, why did they purchase a vehicle with it specially converted for wheelchairs?

Buses

The most highly rated aspect of buses is also personal security (net good +31%), followed by the cost of travel (net good +21%). However, the availability of wheelchair spaces (net good -25%) and the availability of priority seating for disabled people (net good -10%), along with the number of new vehicles designed to meet the needs of disabled people are rated, on balance, poorly (net good -10%).

In the group discussions, problems with buses tended to focus on the lack of continuity between design layouts - in particular, variations in wheelchair access and seating for disabled people, difficulties faced when getting on and off buses. Some participants mentioned that in some cases tilting facilities are not used or drivers do not park near enough to the kerb. It was felt that bus signage could also be improved:

We have problems with travelling because we can't see the bus numbers. Also, the buses are all different designs. This is my third guide dog, and we used to get on the bus and get the seat behind the stairs. My guide dog knew where to find it, and got on. Now the design of buses are all different because they need to get wheelchairs on, and that's brilliant, they should do. But the seats are in different places, they tip up some seats, facing different directions. I get on the bus and can't find a seat, and it's very embarrassing and there's no handle to hold on to. There's a wide space for wheelchairs, but for a blind person a big wide space is frightening.

Trains

Trains are rated as good for personal security (net good +23%), as well as making travel arrangements (net good +12%) and frequency (net good +12%). However, like buses, trains are rated poor on the availability of wheelchair spaces (net good -31%) and the availability of priority seating for disabled people (net good -30%).

Light Rail, Tram and the Underground

Light trains, trams and the Underground are rated most favourably for their frequency (net good +36%), punctuality and reliability (net good +28%). In contrast, these modes are rated poorly on the lack of wheelchair spaces (net good -14%) and the lack of priority seating for disabled people (net good -13%).

In the focus groups, experience of using light train, tram and Underground services was generally positive. Difficulties occur due to specific types of disability. For example, people who need to travel with a guide dog find it difficult to use the escalators. A visually impaired respondent said they find it useful to follow a highlighted line on the ground although this is not a feature of all stations.

I can't use escalators because of my dog's paws, so if I'm downstairs in the tube I've got to get the escalator stopped, and there's not always someone there to do this.

Ferries

The most highly rated aspect of ferries is their punctuality and reliability (net good +59%), as well as personal security (net good +56%). Again, the worst aspect is the lack of new vehicles designed to meet the needs of disabled people (net good +11%), though on balance more respondents rate these as good than poor for ferries.

Few focus group participants had experience of using ferry services. Those who did found the staff to be helpful and said they were given priority parking when boarding the ferry.

Planes

For planes, personal security (net good +67%) and punctuality and reliability (net good +60%) from the aspects listed are seen as the best part of the service by disabled people. The aspect rated less highly is the lack of new vehicles designed to meet the needs of disabled people (net good +4%).

In the focus groups, there was a mixed outlook with regards to air travel. Some participants were able to re-count very positive experiences of the service they received, in particular staff being very able to deal with special needs and willing to make efforts to accommodate them. In particular, wheelchair users had very positive experiences, for example, being given priority seating and assistance with travelling to departure/ arrival areas.

However, others had far more negative experiences. Different approaches to customer care between airlines is evident.