In December 2012, Jack Dromey MP and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson led a delegation of individuals and representatives from disability organisations including RNIB and Mencap to meet with the new Transport Secretary, Patrick McLaughlin, to discuss access to transport for disabled people.
Accessibility concerns
In September Ministers gave the go-ahead to London Midland Rail for proposals which meant that the hours that some train stations were staffed were to be reduced, leaving many stations inaccessible to disabled people after certain times of the day.
Huge concerns were raised about the consultation process, particularly the accessibly of it. The delegation requested a meeting with the Secretary to try and ensure that this kind of thing never happened again.
The Secretary of State gave a sympathetic hearing to the group, who relayed their personal stories of difficulties they experienced when using public transport. He must now act to ensure that private companies providing a public transport service, such as London Midland, adhere to their legal obligation and provide a fully accessible service for disabled people.