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Disabled transport access a ‘national embarrassment’, MPs warn
BBC Transport
Disabled people have told the BBC of “humiliation” and “sub-human treatment” as a senior group of MPs has warned accessibility on public transport is a “national embarrassment”.
A report by parliament’s cross-party transport select committee found “systematic” failings across all public transport and says “too great a burden is placed on individual disabled people” to hold operators and authorities to account.
One wheelchair user told the BBC he experiences “inhumane” discrimination on public transport 15-20 times a month, with bus drivers refusing to deploy the accessibility ramp.
The government said there was “more to do to ensure everyone can travel easily and with dignity”.
“It’s clear that accessibility has been an afterthought in developing transport services,” said Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood.
The report found nearly seven in 10 disabled people and those travelling with them experienced barriers to travel either most or all of the time.
Charley Jonstone-Brent, who uses a wheelchair, said he ended up getting a bladder infection after the accessible toilet on a train he was on was out of service.
The train guard told him there was nothing he could do, suggesting he should “use another toilet” if he could get up and walk.
He told the BBC it made him feel “really depressed” and like he’s “not a person”, describing his treatment as “inhumane”.
“I’ve not turned up to appointments or avoided going on days out with my partner because it gives me such a headache and makes me feel so sick that this is happening.”
One partially sighted guide dog user who gave evidence to MPs about his experiences told the BBC he had reported 88 cab drivers for turning him away because of his dog, and 41 of those received a criminal conviction.
“Standing up to drivers who have discriminated is exhausting and it can be soul-destroying because all you want to do is get to work, or go for a meal, or go to a party,” he said.
Ruth Cadbury MP, who chairs the transport select committee, told the BBC: “I’m so disappointed that my fellow citizens, my constituents can’t make the kind of choices that I can make about how they live their day to day lives.”
MPs say that the current system is too difficult to navigate. They’re calling on the DFT, which is in charge of transportation policy in England, to simplify the system and to look at possible changes to legislation, which in theory, they say could be implemented in other UK nations.
The report calls for a change in culture, which they say is urgently needed to reframe disability inclusion as “a non-negotiable matter of human rights”
Last summer, LNER apologised to Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson after she was forced to “crawl off” a train arriving at London’s King’s Cross.
The 11-time Paralympic gold medallist told the accessible transport inquiry: “In my lifetime, I will not be able to get on a train without the permission or support of a non-disabled person.”
Transport for All said the report findings “paint a damning picture”, highlighting that the disabled community “does not have equal access to any mode of transport.”
Caroline Stickland, the charity’s chief executive, told the BBC: “We really welcome this clear call to action that the current state of transport inaccessibility in this country can not continue.”
“This report is a wakeup call for the government to address transport accessibility and make sure the UK is a place for all of us.”
The report makes 29 conclusions and recommendations – including one that the Government should produce a new inclusive transport strategy within 12 months.
The report also recommends that ministers look at simplifying the current regulatory and enforcement system which they say is “far too fragmented and complex”.
The work of the Ganga Expressway, being constructed from Meerut to Prayagraj is now moving towards completion. Especially in the Hasanpur tehsil of the Amroha district, this expressway has been completely completed. Now, only the final work is going on, which is almost complete. It is expected that vehicles will start running on this route in the coming month.
The construction of a 23.60 km-long expressway in the Hasanpur area is planned to be completed by 12 October 2025, although road construction and lighting work have already been completed here. The work of laying a pipeline for drainage of rainwater has also been completed.
An overbridge and T-point have been prepared on the Hasanpur-Rahra road in Mangrola. Four toll plazas have also been built on both sides of this T-point. Apart from this, the construction of the bridge over the Ganga River in Pandapur has also been completed.
Officials say that some finishing work was stopped due to rain, which will be completed within the next one month. At the same time, sources say that the 594 km-long Ganga Expressway extending from Meerut to Prayagraj will be opened in the month of November, as reported by Jagran.
With the opening of the expressway, it will become very easy to cover the distance from Meerut to Prayagraj. People of Amroha will also get convenience in traveling to both the cities. This route will prove to be very useful for the devotees coming to the Tigri fair from Prayagraj and nearby districts. Also, devotees of Meerut, Hapur and Amroha will now be able to reach Sangam bath easily.
Apart from this, lawyers and litigants of western Uttar Pradesh will get great relief in reaching the Prayagraj High Court. They will be able to leave their home in the morning and return the same day after pleading their case in Prayagraj, as per media reports.
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A grown-up guide to India: How to ace the Golden Triangle and Mumbai – London Evening Standard
A grown-up guide to India: How to ace the Golden Triangle and Mumbai London Evening Standard
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Delhi’s Bhai Dooj gift: Pink Card registration to begin from mid October; free bus travel for women
The Delhi government is set to launch the registration process for its Pink Card, a lifetime free bus travel pass for women, from mid-October, as a Bhai Dooj gift to the women of the national capital.According to a senior transport department official, the Pink Card will be valid for a lifetime and aims to make public transport easier and more accessible. The initiative will replace the existing paper-based ticket system with the ‘Saheli Smart Card’, described as a permanent and personalised pass designed to provide women with unrestricted and secure travel on government-run buses.He said registration for the card is expected to begin in October, allowing “Delhi’s daughters and sisters to avail unlimited free travel as a token of the government’s commitment towards their welfare.” The exact launch date and procedure will be finalised in a meeting scheduled for the coming week.The card will also enhance safety and reduce inconvenience by eliminating the need for daily paper tickets, offering instead a hassle-free smart card.Plans for the Saheli Smart Card were first outlined in July. At the time, officials confirmed that it would carry the holder’s name and photograph and would be available to women and transgender residents of Delhi aged 12 years and above. The card, issued under the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) framework, will allow free travel on all DTC and Cluster buses and can also be recharged and used across other transit services.“To obtain the card, applicants must be bona fide residents of Delhi, aged 12 years or above, and have valid proof of address. They must register online through the DTC portal, select a participating bank, and complete full KYC verification at the chosen bank branch,” the official told PTI.The list of required documents includes Aadhaar, PAN, proof of residence in Delhi, a passport-size photograph, and any additional paperwork specified under the bank’s KYC norms. Once the KYC process is completed, the issuing bank will dispatch the card directly to the applicant’s registered address.The Delhi government has invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) from banks and financial institutions to support the card’s roll-out. Officials clarified that while the government will not charge users for the free travel scheme, banks may impose a small fee for issuing or maintaining the card. In the event of loss, the cardholder must inform the issuing bank, which may replace it under its own policies.Before it can be used, the card must be activated through the Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS) of DTC. While topping up will enable use across other public transport services, the free travel facility will apply only to DTC and Cluster buses.“No card will be issued directly by DTC. Registration is completely online through the DTC portal, and cards are issued only after full KYC verification by the selected bank,” the official added.The chief minister has previously criticised the old pink ticket system, introduced under the AAP government, arguing that it was prone to corruption.
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