The UK’s lack of coherent inclusive transport strategies has failed disabled people – transport accessibility must become consistent across nations and modes to ensure disabled people can make seamless door-to-door journeys.
The Accessible Transport Policy Commission, part of the National Centre for Accessible Transport (ncat) and convened by a cross-party group of Parliamentarians, has launched its first report, Joined-Up Policies, Joined-Up Journeys: Roadmapping Accessible Transport for the UK and Devolved Governments. The report sets out five-year roadmaps to improve transport accessibility policy and regulation in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Denied access to transport systems that are equitable, consistent, and inclusive by design, disabled people make 38% fewer journeys than non-disabled people across the UK transport system[1], with ncat research finding that 92% of disabled people face barriers when using at least one mode of transport. [2]
The exclusion caused by inaccessible transport prevents disabled people from fully contributing their talents, skills, and perspectives – stifling the ambition of policymakers to build a healthy, prosperous, and successful society by limiting access to employment, housing, health, and culture. Our research shows this has a disproportionate impact on disabled people from marginalised and lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
Across the UK, barriers to transport are caused by fragmented governance, outdated frameworks, and faltering policy delivery. The Commission’s report highlights the “postcode lottery” created for disabled people by inconsistent accessible transport standards, ineffective transport regulators, and a lack of integration between different transport modes.
These systemic challenges and the highly devolved nature of UK transport policy mean that better coordination between policymakers is vital to enabling more equitable and inclusive travel. The report also urges policy makers to bring disabled people – whose experiences and expertise are often overlooked – into decision making processes. Future reforms must embed co-production at all stages..
Joined-Up Policies, Joined-Up Journeys outlines a practical vision for standardising transport accessibility practices and integrating transport across the UK. The report’s recommendations put coproduction at the heart of a series of five-year national roadmaps that pave the way for operational, strategic and legislative reforms to how transport policies are made and evaluated. For individual nations, the report recommends:
England
Year 1: The forthcoming Integrated National Transport Strategy should develop an accessible transport framework and form a Ministerial Taskforce across departments to deliver it.
Year 2-3: Establish an Accessible Transport Standards Commission and UK-wide Disability Transport Taskforce to update and review accessible transport frameworks and regulation.
Year 4-5: Conduct an England-specific review of the impact of the accessibility design and training standards, alongside the publishing of annual accessibility enforcement and compliance summaries.
Wales
Year 1: Establish a National Accessibility Advisory Panel to advise Ministers and integrate Disability Rights Taskforce Working Group for Travel’s recommendations and the Accessible Transport Plan into Llwybr Newydd.
Year 2-3: Contribute to a UK-wide Disability Transport Taskforce to ensure strategic alignment, and establish local access plans, working with local authorities and corporate joint committees in Wales.
Year 4-5: Conduct a Wales-specific review of the impact of the accessibility design and training standards. Mandate accessibility and disability awareness training for all public-facing transport staff and managers within Transport for Wales .
Scotland
Year 1: Begin co-production of the Accessible Travel Framework for post-2026 that is in line with the National Transport Strategy 2, with a cross-departmental taskforce established to deliver the framework.
Year 2-3: Contribute to a UK-wide Disability Transport Taskforce to ensure strategic alignment. Mandate accessibility and disability awareness training for all public-facing transport staff and managers within Transport Scotland.
Year 4-5: Conduct a Scotland-specific review of the impact of the accessibility design and training standards, alongside the publishing of annual accessibility enforcement and compliance summaries.
Northern Ireland
Year 1: Publish an inclusive transport strategy for NI and establish a cross-departmental Ministerial Taskforce on Accessible Transport. Set up more community accessibility panels at the district council level, linked to rural partnerships.
Year 2-3: Reform the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to introduce protection from indirect discrimination. Mandate accessibility and disability awareness training for all public-facing transport staff and managers within Department for Infrastructure.
Year 4-5: Conduct an NI-specific review of the impact of the accessibility design and training standards, alongside the publishing of annual accessibility enforcement and compliance summaries.
For more information please email info@ncat.uk
