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TRANSPORT EVENT 27th November 2001

SOLUTIONS AND ACTION PLAN

1 Training and awareness raising

The key challenge is to change the culture and attitude of many taxi and bus drivers towards disability.

Edinburgh Council, bus and taxi companies should ensure:

• Compulsory disability awareness training courses for all bus and taxi operators as part of driver and manager induction
• Refresher training courses
• Extended training for all drivers in the use of ramps.

2 Dialogue and information

All present agreed that the Event provided a great opportunity to learn from each other in an informal, problem-solving way.

Edinburgh Council should:

• Create more opportunities for positive dialogue between companies and disabled people, such as this Event.
• Create opportunities for dialogue between vehicle manufacturers, designers and disabled people.
• Produce guidelines on rights and responsibilities, with advice on complaints procedures, etc.

Edinburgh Council, bus and taxi companies should:

• Consult local groups about local route planning
• Provide an accessible transport phone line to give information on when wheelchair buses are running
• Encourage input from the DDS Group and other disability organisations into companies' internal news letters.

3 On the Buses

Accessible, cheap and reliable public transport is the best option for many disabled people, yet most cannot use buses at present.

Edinburgh Council and bus companies should:

• Ensure that buses have at least two accessible spaces for wheelchair users as a standard
• Provide more low-floor buses
• Lobby for legal requirement for seatbelts and clamps on buses for wheelchair users
• Ensure that drivers ask anyone taking up wheelchair space to give it up if needed.

4 Bus stops and kerbs

Edinburgh Council and bus companies should:

• Tighten up the siting of bus stops, ensuring there is no car parking, that sites are not near corners and traffic lights, and that kerbs are suitable for wheelchair users
• Display wheelchair access signs on bus stops
• Site bollards carefully.
• Increase the use of automated, built-in ramps, which have a better grip
• Build kerbs for low-platform buses on greenways
• Lobby manufacturers for audible/visual safety signal on ramps

5 Taxis

Edinburgh Council and taxi companies should:

• Ensure that all exemption certificates are displayed
• Ensure that drivers always display I.D.
  

6 Taxi card scheme

Edinburgh Council should:

• Ensure more funds to extend the number of fares in the taxi card scheme but not neglect the need to build confidence in buses.

7 Complaints procedures

Edinburgh Council, bus and taxi companies should:

• Provide a freephone number for complainants.
• Publicise formal complaints procedures in accessible formats.

8 Activism

The DDS Group will:

• Tour our photo display and raise awareness of transport issues for people with disabilities.
• Use this Action Plan to continue to lobby decision makers.
• Continue to build our own capacity to be an effective voice for inclusion.
• Continue to complain if necessary to bus and taxi companies.
• The DDS Group is considering working with professional trainers to offer disability awareness training for bus and taxi companies.