1 House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee Transport and the accessibility of public services Written evidence Only those submissions written specifically for the Committee for the inquiry into Transport and the accessibility of public services and accepted as written evidence are included 2 List of written evidence Page 1 Plymouth People First 4 2 Age UK 5 3 Derek Halden, DHC 13 4 Norma George 25 5 Professor Noel Smith, University Campus Suffolk 27 6 Lancashire LINk 32 7 Lynn Curnow 34 8 Oxfordshire Rural Community Council 37 9 Little Green Bus 38 10 The Local Government Technical Advisers Group, the Planning Officers Society, and the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation 45 11 Mr Ray Brookfield 55 12 ASLEF 56 13 Campaign for National Parks 58 14 Professor Karel Martens 65 15 Bus Users UK 69 16 Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford 73 17 Dr Karen Lucas 82 18 British Youth Council 88 19 Pteg 91 20 Lincolnshire County Council 98 21 Campaign for Better Transport 101 22 Local Government Association 110 23 Mencap 116 24 Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) 120 25 Unite the Union 131 26 Stockport Child Poverty Board 135 27 Professor Roger Mackett and Dr Helena Titheridge, UCL 137 28 Professor Peter Jones, UCL 140 29 Transport for All 148 30 RMT 154 31 Sustrans 168 32 Cllr Patsy Ormrod, Wyre Council 177 33 Simon Trevan, Support Worker, Plymouth City Council 179 34 The Government – Department for Transport 185 35 The Mayor of London and TfL 216 36 Consumer Focus 222 37 Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport 227 38 RAC Foundation 233 39 Community Organiser for High Green and Chapeltown 237 3 40 Cambridgeshire County Council (supplementary evidence) 240 41 Merseytravel (supplementary evidence) 246 42 Department for Education (supplementary evidence) 249 43 Department for Work and Pensions (further supplementary evidence) 250 4 Written evidence submitted by Plymouth People First 1. Plymouth People First is a speaking up organisation that supports adults with a Learning Disability to self-advocate on different life issues. Transport, in particular bus usage, is an issue strongly felt and discussed by our members. 2. Plymouth City Council distributes free bus passes to many different community groups within our locality. People who are blind or over the age of eighty may travel for free on the buses from any time; adults with a learning disability have to wait until 9:30 in the morning to use theirs and cannot use it after 11pm.This has a serious effect on people wishing to access training or employment opportunities. Most employers want their staff to start at 8:30 or 9:00 in the morning, not after 10am. Many of our members live off benefits and paying travel costs before 9:30 uses a lot of their weekly income. 3. The terms and conditions of the bus pass’ usage are set by the local authority. They have said changing the terms will cost them five million pounds. The Government set out in the white paper Valuing Employment Now (2010) aims to get people with learning disabilities into paid employment. Limiting the terms of when the pass can be used when other community groups have freer rein contradicts this. 4. Our local bus company, Plymouth Citybus, is also removing numerous services from around the city. This is affecting many of our members who cannot access the community after 5pm as that is when their last bus home runs. This impacts adults with a learning disability being seen as active citizens as they cannot go out at night or work until 5pm as they have no way of getting home independently. 5. For a short while Plymouth Citybus offered our users cheaper bus travel before 9:30 if they showed their bus pass but this was quickly rescinded. Plymouth People First self-advocates would like to see free bus passes made available to adults with a learning disability or bus companies offer reduced fares to particular groups that will enable more people to travel independently and access new life opportunities. 24 July 2012 5 Written evidence submitted by Age UK The Environmental Audit Committee has launched an inquiry into ‘Transport and the accessibility of public services’. This inquiry will reflect on the progress that has been made to improve accessibility since the Social Exclusion Unit’s 2003 report “Making the Connections”, which detailed the link between transport and social exclusion. The Committee is particularly interested in the implications of Government funding cuts and increases in public transport fares. They want to understand whether this agenda has been sidelined and if so the future role of Government policy. While the inquiry rightly focuses on access to vital public services, it should not be forgotten that many private services are also essential, particularly banks and supermarkets. Age UK has therefore included evidence that refers to both public and private essential services in this response. Key points and recommendations: • The government needs to make social isolation a priority in public transport policy and funding, alongside their priorities of economic growth and cutting carbon emissions. They should encourage greater co-operation and co- ordination across public, private and community transport providers. • The national bus concession must remain free and universal. • All local transport authorities must make the most of accessibility planning in transport planning, particularly when spending decisions are being made. They have to be able to react to the needs and views of older people and promote co-operation between all potential transport partners, including community transport and active travel. • The health sector should consider transport when they are planning services. Accessibility planning should be part of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. • National government should assess the implementation of accessibility planning and set a standard to ensure local authorities are meeting their transport duties. • The relationship between transport and poverty needs to be better understood and acted upon by all levels of government. • The internet has an important part to play in providing a range of services but it should be seen as complementary and not as a way of reducing investment in our well established transport infrastructure. How are the Government’s current transport policies affecting the accessibility of public services? The government’s transport strategy prioritises economic growth and cutting carbon emissions1. Alongside these aims they need to make reducing social isolation a priority in public transport policy and funding. This means making transport planning decisions that take into account the accessibility of essential services for vulnerable people, including older people. There are 1.2 million people over 50 who are severely excluded2. Often referred to in terms of being cut off from the mainstream of society, the term recognises disadvantage is not just about being poor; but also being unable to access things in 6 life that most of society takes for granted. This includes having a properly equipped, well maintained home; close friends and regular company; stimulating activity; and easy access to important services such as GPs, shops and post offices. Being able to get out and about is what makes many of these activities possible. Transport is vital to leading an active and independent life and for those without access to a car reliable public transport is essential. Older people and younger people on average make proportionately more trips by public transport (bus, coach and rail) than other age groups. For older people this coincides with a decline in the number of people holding a car driving licence with age. They are therefore disproportionately affected by the Government’s public transport policy. Buses are the most popular form of public transport for older people and they are used frequently. Thirty-nine per cent of people over 60 take a bus at least once a week3. The Government’s commitment to the national bus concession in primary legislation and recently in Parliament is an important cornerstone to accessibility of public services for older people. Free bus travel has been a success and remains very popular with older people. In 2009, 76 per cent of people aged over 60 in Great Britain had received or registered for a concessionary pass4. Age UK research found that the concession allows older people to reach key services without having to make difficult financial decisions, as highlighted in the quotes from older people in Box 1. Notably, ownership and use of the concessionary bus pass is highest for those on the lowest income5. Box 1: Comments from Age UK’s report Getting out and about: keeping buses free and reliable: Male, 61 ‘I couldn’t afford to travel by bus every day before. I would have bought one ticket for one day and be done with it, but now I find myself just using it whenever. Now I am not concerned about getting value for money’ Male, 77 ‘Now I have free bus travel, I don’t need a car. I gave it up… and all the costs and worries of it breaking down and all that’ However, for those people that rely on public transport it can still be more difficult to access key services if you do not have transport readily available. A significant percentage of people perceive difficulties getting to amenities without a car: 44 per cent said they had difficulty getting to the doctor/hospital; 23 per cent getting to the corner shop/supermarket; and 18 per cent getting to the post office6. In addition, the availability of public transport differs significantly between communities. In urban areas the percentage of people who live within 13 minutes of a regular (hourly) bus is around 95 per cent, in rural areas it is 50 per cent7.