Policy Elements of the Sectoral Plan

High Level Policy Goal

The Department of Transport is committed to the development of integrated accessible public transport services for the greatest number of people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments in the shortest possible time, having regard to resource, technical and other constraints.

Departmental Objective

The Department's objective with regard to Transport Accessibility is:

That all passenger transport operators must provide the highest possible degree of accessibility, taking into account the availability of resources, the constraints created by competing priorities and the rules of practicality.

The obligations arising from this objective will apply to all operators of public transport services, both public and private.

The Department intends to manage the transition to an accessible integrated transport system effectively through the following broad concepts:

Being proactive in efforts to identify and remove barriers that prevent people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments and older people accessing the transport system and to ensure that no future barriers are created;
Working in partnership with public, private and community-based interests and the statutory transport providers and operators to improve the accessibility of transport services;
Implementing established best practice when developing policies and implementing plans;
On-going consultation with the representatives of people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments and older people;
Ensuring Value for Money, through targeting available resources at initiatives that are affordable and sustainable and that maximise benefits to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments and older people in terms of increasing mobility and promoting independent living.

The "Transport for All" Concept

The benefits of improved transport accessibility extend to all transport users, even to the most able-bodied, and issues relating to transport accessibility go far beyond the needs of people with disabilities. They impact on the transport needs of the entire population because most people, at some point in their lives, are likely to acquire a physical or other impairment or be impeded in some manner, that will make travelling difficult, if not impossible, on what one might call 'traditional' type transport vehicles. This is particularly the case as people advance through the ageing process. It is also the case that there is a high correlation between age and disability.

Accordingly, in addressing the issue of transport accessibility, the Department has adopted the term accessible transport for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

The Department is defining the term as follows:

People with physical, sensory, learning or cognitive difficulties (whether permanent or temporary) and others whose access to traditionally constructed transport vehicles, services and infrastructures is limited, to a greater or lesser extent, on account of age, because of accompanying children or because they are carrying luggage or shopping or are otherwise impaired in their use of the transport system.

This definition has been developed in consultation with the members of the Public Transport Accessibility Committee (Appendix 1) and accords with the 'Transport for All' concept that is now generally used within the EU and the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) as the public policy objective when addressing transport accessibility issues (Appendix 2). Such a concept includes a broad proportion of the population and not just people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. Thus it removes the notion of "special" provision for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

Accessible Public Transport

Accessible public transport means the following: -

Full unassisted access for wheelchair users (and for prams and buggies) including, where appropriate, accessible toilets and lifts.
Features to aid people with difficulties in walking, gripping, reaching or balancing, including slip resistant surfaces, handrails and handholds.
Facilities to aid people with vision impairments, deafness or hearing loss, and other impairments. These include the consistent use of colour contrasts, clear signing and lighting, non-reflective surfaces, audio and visual announcements, tactile and audible guidance surfaces, warning systems and induction loops.
Facilities to aid people with learning disabilities or mental health problems. These include clear oral and written information and consistent staff training in recognising and understanding the needs of people.

Mainstreaming of Transport Services

"Mainstreaming" in the transport context means the adoption of an integrated approach to policy-making, transport planning and the provision of transport services for all. In this Plan, the Department of Transport is promoting the principle of mainstreaming across all modes of transport that operate under its remit. This will be done as extensively and intensely as possible with regard to meeting the transport needs of people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. However, it is inevitable that some people, because of the severity or nature of their disabilities, will not be able to travel on public transport services (or may not be able to do so at all times). In these cases, specialised transport services are the most appropriate complementary form of transport and which are generally provided by specialist agencies.

It is also important to recognise that accessible public transport is not just about vehicles and infrastructure. It also includes elements such as staff training in understanding and meeting passenger needs and information (both before and during journeys) in forms and formats that can be widely understood.

Collaboration and partnership between those with responsibility for public transport and those responsible for the pedestrian environment and for traffic management is also a key element of transport that is accessible for all.

Scope of the Sectoral Plan

This Plan covers the following public transport services and related issues:

Bus and rail services provided by or on behalf of Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus and Iarnród Éireann,
Licensed scheduled public transport services provided by private bus operators,
Light rail services,
Proposed plans for a Metro for Dublin,
Taxi and Hackney services,
Rural Transport Services provided under the Rural Transport Initiative,
Air transport services,
Maritime passenger transport services,
Driver Training and Parking.

In addition, it deals with the Department of Transport's corporate responsibilities under Part 3 of the Disability Act 2005 dealing with access to public buildings and services and Part 5 on public service employment.

The Plan also recognises that an accessible, barrier-free pedestrian environment is fundamentally important to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. Unless people can move about on the streets and pavements in safety and with confidence, they will not be able to make full use of accessible transport services.

The Consultative Process

An Outline Transport Sectoral Plan was published on 21 September 2004, in conjunction with the launch by the Taoiseach of the Government's Disability Strategy. Much of the content of the Outline Plan was determined by provisions of the Disability Bill and all interested parties were invited to study the proposals therein and forward views to the Minister. Both the National Disability Authority (NDA) and the Public Transport Accessibility Committee (PTAC) took part in the consultation process.

Arising from the consultation process, a Discussion Document was prepared in January 2006, which developed further the outline proposals.

The preparation of the Discussion Document benefited greatly from the input received from the members of the Public Transport Accessibility Committee. The Department also received comments and views on it from a number of other organisations and individuals. Many of these arose from a series of countrywide workshops on the six Sectoral Plans organised by the National Disability Authority in the summer of 2005.

The Discussion Document was presented to a Seminar and Workshops on Accessible Transport in Dublin Castle on 13 January 2006. This event was attended by representatives of the main disability organisations, the Rural Transport Initiative, the Public Transport Accessibility Committee, the National Disability Authority, the Chief Executive Officers of Bus Éireann, Bus Átha Cliath, Iarnród Éireann and the Railway Procurement Agency, together with representatives of the main private bus operator organisations and the State Airports. The event was chaired by Mr. Jack Short, Secretary General of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) and the main speakers included Ms. Mary Crass, Transport Policy Division of the ECMT, Ms. Ann Frye, Mobility and Inclusion Unit, UK Department for Transport and Mr. Ger Deering, Commissioner for Taxi Regulation.

The discussion document and the comments received during and after the proceedings at Dublin Castle were used as a basis for developing a Draft Plan during 2006 and arising from which this Plan has been developed.

The transfer of responsibility for maritime passenger transport and the commercial seaports from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to the Department of Transport in January 2006 also means that material on these functions has now been included.

There has been significant public consultation in the preparation of this Plan and while most comments are reflected in the Plan, some of the more detailed points made are valid and will be followed up as part of the implementation process.

Review of the Plan

In this Plan, the Department has set targets for improving the range of accessible services in the bus, rail, air, maritime and taxi sectors. These targets are built on the assumptions that the economic and financial conditions that currently prevail will continue into the future. There will be a need to review the Plan from time to time to take account of the impact of future changes in transport vehicles and technology and to report progress. Accordingly, the Plan will be reviewed every two years and amended as necessary. The Department will prepare a progress report on its implementation.

The need to bring accessibility and inclusion issues into the mainstream of transport policy considerations, no longer treating them in the margins of policy development as additional or secondary considerations, is central to the work of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT). Details about the work of the Conference relevant to disability issues and its charter on accessibility and the principles underpinning this charter, can be found in Appendix 2. This Plan is consistent with and informed by ECMT policy. The Department of Transport will continue to participate in the work of the ECMT on access and inclusion and any future ECMT recommendations will be included in future versions of this Plan.

A Summary of the specific targets for accessibility in each of the services is contained is at Appendix 8.

An Integrated Public Transport Network

A person's quality of life is significantly affected by his or her ability to access the transport network to avail of a choice of modes of transport and to be able to travel easily and with confidence to a chosen destination. By contrast, significant gaps in the network or services can have a detrimental impact, particularly on isolated individuals or vulnerable communities. The needs of people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments, people in isolated rural areas and areas of urban disadvantage and of those who do not have access to a car, must be taken into account as transport policies are designed and implemented.

Transport needs vary considerably between users. Urban residents may wish for more frequent and efficient public transport services at peak or indeed at off-peak times, rural dwellers may seek the availability of a weekly public transport service to connect them to the nearest town, city dwellers may seek adequate cycling or walking facilities. People with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments have the same wide range of needs as other members of the traveling public but will, in addition, need services that are accessible to them, both in terms of reaching stops and in terms of physical access to the vehicles. This wide range of very differing needs must be taken into consideration as the Department works with stakeholders to design transport solutions which will contribute to social inclusion.

Solutions will be as varied as the issues they are designed to tackle and may lead the Department in some cases to aim for an increase in the level of commercial services available, in others to opt for support for essential if unviable public transport services, or in still other cases to consider what infrastructure and service changes are needed in order to meet the needs of people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. Differing solutions will be appropriate to address the needs of different interest groups.

Accordingly, the Department of Transport regards the development of a more integrated and accessible public transport system, with fuller coverage across the country, as an important contribution to address issues of disadvantage and social inclusion. This is one of the aims behind the Department's new 10-year transport investment strategy, Transport 21, which was launched on 1 November 2005 by the Government.

Transport 21

The total amount of funding under Transport 21 is over €34 billion in public transport and roads. It is built around two key strategies:

The development of a high-quality national transport network with improved regional and local public transport networks and services, and
The transformation of the transport network in the Greater Dublin Area.

Transport 21 is predicated on making the transport system accessible for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. This will be achieved in two principal ways. Accessibility will be built into new transport infrastructural projects and the acquisition of accessible rolling stock and buses as a matter of course. In addition to the mainstreaming of accessibility into new projects, funding will continue to be provided to enable the phased adaptation or retrofit of existing transport infrastructure and facilities. A provision of € 13 million was made under the National Development Plan, 2000-2006 to part-finance public transport accessibility improvement projects. The Department has been able to expand on this provision and over €20 million has been made available to end-2005 for that purpose. In 2006, a budget allocation of €15 million has been made for accessibility project funding.

To date, most of the projects funded under this programme have involved the retrofitting of bus and rail stations to provide access for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments and the adaptation of vehicles. These projects have been developed in consultation with the Public Transport Accessibility Committee (PTAC) and reports are received from the operating companies on their progress.

This particular funding has been additional to the ongoing substantial investment in public transport infrastructure and vehicle procurement under the NDP. As an integral part of that latter investment, it is a requirement that the transport needs of people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments are taken into account and accommodated with specific actions and timeframes.

There will of course be continuing capital investment in other aspects of our transport system not covered by Transport 21 - regional and local roads, airports, harbours and sea ports.

Information on Transport 21 has been published on the Department of Transport website www.transport.ie .

Regulatory Matters

The Department will ensure that accessibility is a core component of proposals for legislation in relation to modernising the institutional and legal framework governing transport. It is an objective that such proposals should not result in any dilution in the accessibility of transport services but rather in improvements. In this regard, the ECMT Charter on Access to Transport Services and Infrastructure offers useful principles to inform the preparation of legislation.

Further Integration on Cross-Cutting Transport/Accessibility Issues

In its Statement of Strategy 2005-2007, one of the Department of Transport's guiding principles is that it will work across relevant sectors and Departments to develop a coherent policy framework to address all modes and underpin the development of an integrated transport system. In relation to accessibility matters, in view of the involvement of many Departments and agencies in cross-cutting transport accessibility issues, the National Disability Authority has recommended the development of a national policy on integrated accessible public transport for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

This document, along with TRANSPORT 21, is the first attempt at putting together an integrated approach to laying down a firm policy foundation for the longer term in dealing with cross-cutting accessibility issues. A number of cross-cutting issues arise, some involving inter-departmental coordination and cooperation, which will have to be pursued separately and further progressed over the next year viz.:

Co-ordination with the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government in order to create a better interface between the public transport system, the streetscape, and approaches to and places of access to transport which also includes interaction with local authorities.
The integration of transport policy with other policies in the area of social inclusion, e.g. the free travel scheme; school transport, rural social policy and grant aid schemes operated by the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the Health Services Executive.
The need for co-ordination in order to clarify how insurance coverage can allow transport staff such as bus drivers to assist people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments on boarding and alighting from vehicles. This will need to recognise the importance of training, risk assessment and compliance with the relevant Manual Handling Directives
The development of guidelines and Codes of Practice for Quality Customer Services for all Transport Operators to include, inter alia, provision for Disability Awareness Training;
Accessible Parking, Parking Permits and associated enforcement issues;
People with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments - Driving standards and formal assessment procedures need to be developed.
Private transport for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments - adaptations and modification standards;
Integration of Passenger Information - needed to enable people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments use public transport with confidence and inter-change between modes;
Overseeing the phased introduction of accessible long-distance coaches by both private and public operators, especially those linked to major centres of population and airports and ferry terminals;
Co-operation with the relevant transport accessibility authorities in Northern Ireland on matters of mutual interest relating to transport accessibility.

The Department of Transport will address these matters over the coming months in conjunction with the relevant Government Departments and agencies and the National Disability Authority with a view to producing agreed plans and actions and timescales for implementation.

Guidelines for improving access to Bus, Rail and Light Rail services for People with Mobility, Sensory and Cognitive impairments.

The National Disability Authority, in consultation with the Department of Transport, has developed operational guidelines - "Recommended Accessibility Guidelines for Public Transport Operators in Ireland" - for improving access to bus, rail and light rail services for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments in Ireland. These Guidelines were published in 2005 and are intended for use by all providers of public transport services.

The guidelines deal with information provision, infrastructure and buildings, vehicle design, customer relations, disability awareness training and procedures for disruption and emergencies. In addition, the guidelines explain the barriers to travel faced by passengers with disabilities and outline the current Irish legal and regulatory position. In implementing the guidelines, the responsible bodies will need to pay particular attention to training, systems and procedures for informing and assisting disabled travellers at times of disruption and during emergencies.

The publication of these guidelines represents another step in the process of assisting and supporting bus, rail and light rail operators in making their services accessible to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. The recommendations are based on the principles of "Transport for All" which focus on the whole experience of a journey, from information that is accessible and vehicles and buildings that are accessible to disability awareness training for staff, and consultation and communication with people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

Although the document is primarily aimed at bus, rail and light rail public transport operators, it contains general principles of good practice which are relevant to all transport modes and other transport providers should look to see how these guidelines could improve the accessibility of their services.

Implementation will proceed by way of voluntary compliance in the first instance.

All of the public transport companies have been supplied with a copy of the document and the Department of Transport has reminded the companies that they should take the recommendations into account in the provision of their services.

Compliance will be monitored as part of the overall monitoring arrangements for this Plan. Progress on implementation will be reviewed after two years and if the compliance is unsatisfactory, the Department will consider the introduction of a more prescriptive approach.

A copy of the guidelines can be downloaded on www.nda.ie/standards.