Government calls on companies to join accessibility campaign as £2m bus funding announced
Continuing with its investment into transport accessibility, the Department for Transport is to provide £2 million to fund audio and visual equipment for buses to improve journeys for disabled people.
Working in partnership with the Real Time Information Group (RTIG), a community group which supports the spreading of communications technology in public transport, the collaboration will see the two parties allocate the £2 million to small bus operators.
With visual and audio equipment predominantly provided by larger operators, the funding is intended to help small, local bus operators to implement the costly audio and visible information systems in their vehicles.
The Government confirmed it expects up to 30 small bus operators to benefit from the funding.
Tim Rivett, General Manager at the Real Time Information Group said: “Audio visual information helps reduce barriers to travel and increases confidence in public transport for all passengers, but particularly disabled passengers.
“RTIG is looking forward to working with the department to help small operators roll out audio visual information and provide the customer benefits more quickly than would otherwise happen.
With almost half of public transport journeys being made on buses, according to the Department for Transport, the equipment will aim to provide useful information to visually- and hearing-impaired passengers to ensure they know where they are and when to get off.
Accessibility Minister Nusrat Ghani said: “Every passenger, regardless of where they travel in Great Britain, should be able to do so confident that they have boarded the correct vehicle and are travelling to the right place.”
It’s everyone’s journey
The launch of the partnerships coincides with the announcement of the Department’s ‘It’s everyone’s journey’ campaign, set to highlight the part everyone can play in improving disabled people’s experiences when using public transport.
“It is unacceptable that people still feel they cannot travel by bus, because of a lack of basic route and destination information onboard local bus services,” commented Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
“This partnership is the next step in ensuring that passengers have the information they need to travel confidently on local bus services throughout Great Britain.
“However, we know there is more to do which is why I’m delighted we’re also launching our It’s everyone’s journey campaign today and I invite as many partners as possible to join up so that everyone has equal access to public transport.”
In particular, the Department for Transport is calling on businesses, charities and transport operators to join the campaign in a bid to raise awareness of the needs of disabled travellers. Currently, organisations including British Airways, LNER and the Alzheimer’s Society are signed up to the campaign.
Both the new bus funding and awareness campaign fall under the Government’s Inclusive Transport Strategy, which has seen a raft of funding and policy initiatives aimed at making transport more accessible for those with disabilities.
Thus far in 2019, the Strategy has seen additional funding to improve accessibility at 73 railway stations, £2million for installing Changing Places facilities on England’s busiest roads, as well as its recent backing of Driving Mobility’s ‘Hubs’ pilot scheme.
https://thiis.co.uk/government-calls-on-companies-to-join-accessibility-campaign-as-2m-bus-funding-announced/https://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/bus-local-operator.jpghttps://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/bus-local-operator-150x150.jpgGovernment & Local AuthoritiesInvestments & FundingNewsroomAlzheimer's Society,British Airways,bus operators,changing places,Driving Mobility,funding,Government,hearing-impaired,Inclusive Transport Strategy,It's everyone's journey,Real Time Information Group,visual and audio equipment,visually impairedContinuing with its investment into transport accessibility, the Department for Transport is to provide £2 million to fund audio and visual equipment for buses to improve journeys for disabled people. Working in partnership with the Real Time Information Group (RTIG), a community group which supports the spreading of communications technology...Calvin BarnettCalvin Barnettcalvin.barnett@bhta.comAuthorTHIIS Magazine