Submission by the Accessibility and Inclusion Forum of the Chartered Institute of
Logistics and Transport in the UK
to the
Inquiry of the Youth Select Committee of the British Youth Council
Into issues and concerns around
‘safe, affordable and accessible transport for young people’
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK
1. The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK (“the Institute”) is a
professional institution embracing all transport modes whose members are engaged in
the provision of transport services for both passengers and freight, the management of
logistics and the supply chain, transport planning, government and administration. We
have no political affiliations and do not support any particular vested interests. Our
principal concerns are that transport policies and procedures should be effective and
efficient and based, as far as possible, on objective analysis of the issues and practical
experience and that good practice should be widely disseminated and adopted.
2. The Institute has a nationwide structure of regions and groups. This response has been
developed by the Accessibility and Inclusion Forum of the Institute and supplements our
earlier submission which focussed more generally on wider transport matters.
Context
3. The Institute particularly welcomes the focus of this enquiry on the accessibility and
availability of transport services for disabled young people. With so much attention
necessarily focussed on older people with mobility difficulties, the very different needs of
young people with disabilities can be overlooked.
4. Around 1 in 20 children in the UK has a disability. The Government’s Disability Equality
Indicators1 show that disabled young people are less likely to be involved in positive
activities (such as sport or other organised activities) than their non-disabled peers. They
are also less likely than non disabled young people to be in further education or
employment.
5. There is also a clearly established link between households which include a child with a
disability and low income.
1
disability statistics UK 2011
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Transport Issues
General Issues for Disabled People
6. Although there is a decrease in the numbers of disabled people reporting problems with
accessing and using public transport, one fifth still say that they have difficulty in doing
so. These problems are much more severe outside the major towns and cities where
significant parts of the bus fleet, for example, will remain inaccessible until the
Government deadline for full compliance with accessibility regulations (end 2016 for
single deck buses, end 2017 for double deck buses).
7. Even in those areas in which public transport is substantially accessible, many disabled
people, young and old, still face discrimination from staff (drivers etc) and from fellow
passengers. This applies to those who use wheelchairs but also to those with less visible
disabilities such as learning difficulty, low vision or impaired hearing.
8. There are also many areas in which access to the pedestrian and built environment has
not kept pace with the introduction of accessible vehicles so that getting to and from
public transport remains a significant problem.
Specific Issues for Young People with Disabilities
9. Access to public transport is vital to enable disabled young people to develop
independence and to have the full choice of opportunities for further and higher
education and for employment and training
10. Unlike previous generations of disabled people for whom public transport was simply not
an option , today’s young disabled people take it as a matter of right that they should be
able to get on the bus or train along with everyone else. This often gives them more
confidence than older disabled people but does not mean that they will not face
problems.
11. For those with little or no walking ability, choice of college or place of work or leisure will
be limited to those served directly by an accessible bus route with good barrier-free
pedestrian links at both ends of the journey and with a timetable that suits their work,
study or leisure activities.
12. Those who need to rely on door to door services may find that regular journeys, for
example to college on a daily basis, cannot be accommodated so routine and punctual
attendance is impossible.
13. For young disabled people too, the lack of spontaneity that often still prevails in rail travel
is a particular problem. The need to book 24 hours before travelling in order to get
assistance means that the freedom to go with friends and to enjoy a social life will be
limited. The rigid insistence on a specific train, and sometimes even a specific seat in
order to get the cheapest price is also a constraint.
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Future Options
14. As public transport continues to become more accessible, the restrictions on disabled
people in general will reduce. For those in urban areas with plentiful public transport the
chances for spontaneity and choice will increase. For those in rural areas where buses
are infrequent, disabled young people, like their non-disabled peers, will continue to find
lack of frequency and flexibility a problem.
15. Options to consider include:
 Wider introduction of schemes such as travel training or buddying which can help
disabled young people to analyse and plan their transport needs as an integral part
of planning for post school life.
Support of this kind would be particularly valuable for the large number of disabled
young people whose only experience of transport may be a “special” school bus.
They need to gain both understanding and confidence before they can be expected
to travel alone.
Alongside travel buddying, the promotion of car or lift sharing may help to offset the
evident limitations of bus services in rural areas
The type of support needed will vary widely according to individual needs. For
example, a young person with a learning disability may need intensive support to
learn a particular route to and from a single regular destination and how to cope with
unexpected events such as cancellation or re-routing of services. A young person
with a physical impairment might only need to be shown a route that avoids kerbs
and steps and to become familiar with how to ask the driver to lower the ramp on a
bus.
Investment is schemes such as this can save significant expenditure on continuing
support in later life for those who have not been able to make the transition and
spread their wings.

Reviewing the transport needs of disabled young people in rural areas for whom the
limitations on available public transport are compounded by the lack of accessible
vehicles and stops on most rural routes. In particular considering the need to
prioritise vital links between rural villages and local towns for the introduction of
accessible vehicles rather than leaving these routes to be the last to be upgraded.

Increasing the flexibility of door to door services so they can be more responsive to
the needs of disabled young people who need to rely on them for college or work.

Ensuring that bus routes serving colleges of further and higher education are given
priority for introduction of accessible vehicles and that bus stops are close enough to
enable those with limited mobility ranges to get to and from their destinations.

Recognising that efforts to promote healthier lifestyles by encouraging walking and
cycling may impinge disproportionately on young disabled people who cannot walk or
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cycle. Where such initiatives are combined with cuts to bus services the resulting
lack of educational opportunity may affect them for the rest of their lives.

Supporting and endorsing the National Stations Improvement Programme (NSIP)
with its emphasis on ‘Access for All’ and in particular encouraging Network Rail,
individual Train Operating Companies and the Association of Train Operating
Companies (ATOC) to adopt a standardised modular approach to railway station and
platform access. This will provide guidance on appropriate design and
implementation of lifts and/or ramps.

As well as physical infrastructure improvements , Train Operating Companies should
continue to invest in high quality staff training measures to help disabled young
people .
Submitted by:
Daniel Parker-Klein
Policy Manger
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK)
daniel.parker-klein@ciltuk.org.uk
June 2012
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