Above: Mark with Sir Bert Massie; below:campaigners showing how things should be.
Mark Lazarowicz MP is backing a campaign to encourage more disabled people to use public transport and exercise new rights to fair treatment on buses, trains, trams and taxis.
The Disability Rights Commission's (DRC's) campaign is being launched with a poll revealing that disabled people are four times more likely to lack confidence using buses and trains than non-disabled people.
The DRC's campaign- GOJO - follows changes to the Disability Discrimination Act introduced in December 2006. Under the new legislation a bus driver is required to notify someone with a visual impairment when they reach their stop and train staff can be asked to bring refreshments to a passenger who can't walk to the buffet car.
The GOJO campaign aims to increase awareness of improvements made in public transport - £600 million invested to make buses and trains more user friendly - and to rebuild the confidence of disabled travellers.
Mark Lazarowicz MP said: "I'm backing the DRC's GOJO campaign as an important step in raising disabled people's confidence in using public transport. Increasing access to buses and trains is a crucial must for disabled people to take up job opportunities, education and leisure and to play a full and active role in the community. Edinburgh has lots of new buses so large numbers are accessible but this campaign highlights the need nationwide"
Sir Bert Massie, Chairman of the DRC said:"Millions have been invested in making public transport more user-friendly. But in some parts of the country, lack of confidence is the major barrier for disabled people using buses and trains. We need to see a return on this investment through increased transport use."
The survey: TNS carried out a face to face opinion survey among a regionally representative sample of 7,000 disabled and non-disabled people in England, Scotland and Wales. Research compared disabled and non-disabled people's confidence using buses and trains. Interviews were conducted between 24 November and 19 December, 2006.
The DRC's Campaign: The DRC's regional campaign - GOJO - aims to increase disabled people's confidence in public transport. The six month campaign will connect disabled people with user-friendly public transport and persuade bus and train companies that the best way to make a return on their investment is through increased confidence and passenger use.
The Law: New rights to fair treatment on buses, trains, trams and taxis were introduced on 4 December 2006. The legislation extends Part Three of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995.
Accessibility of buses and trains: £600 million has been spent on making buses, trains and coaches accessible. Currently nearly 50% of buses are accessible and over one third of trains are user-friendly.
The DRC: The DRC is an independent statutory body responsible for tackling disability discrimination. They aim to bring about equality of opportunity and increased participation for the 10 million people in Britain who have rights under the Disability Discrimination Act.
5th February 2007 Back to Press Releases