Mobility & Transport. Disability Factsheet. Car Travel

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1 Mobility & Transport Disability Factsheet Transport is an important issue for disabled people. The availability of accessible transport, or lack of it, can affect quality of life. This factsheet provides information on different types of transport available including transport schemes and organizations concerned with disabled people s different transport needs. The Equality Act 2010 covers the use of vehicles. This includes getting on and off vehicles and the service a disabled person receives while travelling on them. It also covers the provision of car hire vehicles and breakdown services. The duties under the Equality Act apply to the following vehicles: Buses and coaches Taxis and private hire vehicles Trains Trams and light railways Rental cars Breakdown recovery vehicles Car Travel Motability This is a government-backed scheme which allows disabled people to use their mobility component to hire or buy a car or a powered wheelchair/scooter. To be eligible for the scheme you must receive the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), or War Pensioner s mobility supplement and you must have at least 12 months of this award left when you apply. Even if you don t drive you can apply for a car as a passenger. An application for a car can also be made on behalf of a child aged 3 years and upwards. Some financial assistance may be available through Motability for car adaptations and driving lessons. For more information contact: Motability Operations. City Gate House 22 Southwark Bridge Road

2 London SE1 9HB Tel: Website: Motability also run similar schemes for powered wheelchairs and scooters. Information on both schemes is available on Motability s website. The Scottish Driving Assessment Service This provides a national information and advice service on all aspects of driving and car travel for disabled people. They can also carry out assessments of disabled people wishing to learn to drive or to resume driving after an illness or accident. Following an assessment they can advise on appropriate vehicles and adaptations, as well as providing information on driving schools which have automatic and/or adapted vehicles. Assessment is free, although a referral letter from a doctor giving brief medical details about the person is required before an appointment can be made. Assessments can be carried out in Edinburgh or other parts of Scotland through a mobile service. For more information contact: Scottish Driving Assessment Service Astley Ainslie Hospital 133 Grange Loan Edinburgh EH9 2HL Tel: Fax: marlene.mackenzie@nhs.lothian. scot.uk The Forum of Mobility Centres This is a network of 17 mobility centres including the Scottish Driving Assessment Service. Their website has several fact sheets on subjects such as "Return to Driving" and "Air Bags and Drivers with a Disability ". For more information contact: The Forum of Mobility Centres c/o Providence Chapel Warehorne Ashford Kent TN26 2JX Tel: Website: 2

3 Ricability This is a charity which tests consumer products for older and disabled people. They produce reports and guides about their findings. They have produced a selection of reports on motoring and disability. These can be viewed on their website or printed copies can be requested from Ricability. They ask for a voluntary contribution towards postage but the reports are free. For more information contact: Ricability Unit G03 The Wenlock Wharf Road London N1 7EU Tel: Textphone: Website: The Blue Badge Scheme This is a national arrangement of parking concessions for people with severe walking difficulties who travel either as drivers or passengers. The blue badge is also valid in the European Union. You can get a blue badge if you: receive the higher rate of the mobility component of DLA receive a War Pensioners Mobility Supplement are registered blind use a car supplied for disabled people by a government health department have a severe disability in both upper limbs have a permanent and substantial disability which means you are unable to walk or have very considerable difficulty in walking. are a child under the age of two who requires transportation of heavy medical equipment have a temporary but substantial disability which is likely to last for a period of at least 12 months but less than 3 years which means you are unable to walk or have considerable difficulty in walking. To apply for a blue badge, contact your local social work department. For general information about the scheme, look on the Scottish Government s website: The Scottish Government s website also has information on using your blue badge in Europe: If you don't have access to the internet you can contact the Scottish Government directly to request this information: 3

4 Scottish Government Development Department Transport & Local Roads Division Area 2E, Victoria Quay Edinburgh EH6 6QQ. Tel: /0869. Accessible Car Hire There are a few companies which can hire accessible vehicles to people living in, or visiting, Scotland. Get in touch with ASCS for more information. Bus Travel There is a website which lists the bus companies serving different areas of Scotland. It gives the contact details of the companies and local bus services, but does not give information about access to buses. The website is: National Entitlement Card This replaces local concession cards and entitles people over 60 and eligible disabled people living in Scotland to free bus travel to anywhere in Scotland. To qualify disabled people should be in receipt of one of the following: the higher or middle rate of the mobility component of DLA, Attendance Allowance, War Pension mobility supplement or a disabled parking badge. Others who qualify include those with a visual impairment, are profoundly or severely deaf, have mental health issues and people who have been, or would be, refused a driving licence on medical grounds. Application forms are available from Local Authorities, post offices or Strathclyde Passenger Transport Travel Centres, but it may be best to contact your Local Authority for information on the application process in your area. The website has more information. Train Travel There are several train companies operating in Scotland. Details are listed below. First Scotrail The website for First Scotrail has information about their train services and stations. It details access information for individual stations including arrangements for stations with reduced accessibility. It also gives a telephone number for customers requiring help with their journey. For more information contact: Scotrail Railways Ltd PO Box 7030 Fort William PH33 6WX. 4

5 Telephone number for people needing assistance: Minicom: Website: or East Coast This company also has information about their train services and stations including access information for individual stations. Their website has a page on assisted travel. For more information contact: East Coast Customer Relations FREEPOST RRZG-ZZZX-LKXK Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 5DN Telephone number for customers needing assistance: Text phone: Website: Virgin Trains Information about Virgin Trains can be found on their website. There is also information on assisted travel. For more information contact: Customer Relations Virgin Trains FREEPOST BM 6613 P.O. BOX 713 Birmingham B5 4HH Telephone number for customers needing assistance: Textphone: Website: The National Rail Enquiries This website and phone line gives advice on journey planning and train service updates. The website also has information for disabled passengers including details of the level of accessibility at individual railway stations. For more information contact: Freepost RSEH-TBGE-HBJJ Customer Relations National Rail Enquiries Plymouth PL4 6AB Tel: Textphone: Website: 5

6 Railways for All This is a document which explains what rail companies and stations are planning to do to improve access. The document can be viewed on the "Access for Disabled People" page of the website: or contact the Department for Transport for more information: Great Minster House 76 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DR United Kingdom Tel: The Disabled Persons Railcard This allows you to buy discounted rail tickets. If another adult is traveling with you, they can also travel at the same discounted fare. There are two cards available: a one-year card and a three-year card. To qualify for a railcard, you must meet one of the following criteria: registered as visually impaired registered deaf have epilepsy, and are disabled by repeated attacks even though you receive drug treatment receive Attendance Allowance receive DLA (high rate mobility component or middle or high rate care component) receive SDA receive War Pensioner s mobility supplement receive war or service disablement pension for 80% or more disability are the driver of a vehicle provided under the Invalid Vehicle Scheme (before 1976) are buying or leasing a vehicle through the Motability scheme. For more information contact: Rail Travel Made Easy PO Box Laurencekirk AB30 9AA Tel: Textphone: Website: (The application form can be downloaded from the website.) disability@atoc.org Completed application forms need to be returned to the address above. You should include proof of entitlement and payment. The application form lists what you need as proof of eligibility. 6

7 Air Travel Aircraft are still exempt from the Equality Act. However airline operators do still have duties not to discriminate against disabled people and to make reasonable adjustments in respect of matters such as timetables, booking facilities and waiting rooms at airports. In addition to this European law states that people who are disabled or who have difficulty getting around are entitled to assistance when flying to or from Europe. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has produced a booklet called "Your Rights to Fly-a step-by-step guide for disabled and less mobile passengers". The booklet gives information on disabled people's rights when flying and what can be done to make their journey run as smoothly as possible. You can download the booklet from their website: Or you can get in touch with them to request a paper copy: Equality and Human Rights Commission The Optima Building 58 Robertson Street Glasgow G2 8DU Telephone helpline: Fax scotland@equalityhumanrights.com BAA The BAA website has links to the websites of the airports they own and manage. Each website includes a small section giving information for customers with additional support needs. BAA can be contacted at their corporate office or directly at each individual airport. For more information contact: BAA Airports Limited The Compass Centre Nelson Road London Heathrow Airport Hounslow TW6 2GW Tel: Website: Highlands and Islands Airports This company manages airports throughout the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. There is a short section on the websites of the individual airports giving information for customers with additional support needs. For more information contact: Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd Inverness airport Inverness 7

8 IV2 7JB Tel: Website: Ferries Like aircraft, ferries are exempt from the Equality Act, but ferry companies have a duty not to discriminate against disabled people and to make reasonable adjustments in respect of matters such as timetables, booking facilities and services at ferry ports. The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee has produced a guide to ferry travel for disabled people called "Access to Sea Travel" it is available to download from their website: Caledonian MacBrayne This ferry company has information on their website for travellers needing assistance and some of their ferries have accessible facilities. For more information contact: Caledonian MacBrayne Ferry Terminal Gourock PA19 1QP Tel: Website: Pentland Ferries This company has information about their services on their website, but not about access. However, staff can give this over the phone. For more information contact: Pentland Ferries Pier Rd. St Margaret's Hope Orkney KW17 2SW Tel: </STRON< Website: Northlink Ferries This company has a lot of information for disabled travellers on their website and their overnight ferries have accessible cabins available as well as other accessible features. For more information contact: Northlink Ferries Ferry Terminal Gourock PA19 1QP 8

9 Tel: Website: Taxis This website has contact details for taxi firms in Scotland. It also has a section on the regulations regarding taxis and disability. Community Transport Schemes Community transport schemes are non-profit making transport services for people who have difficulty using public transport. The Community Transport Association has information on schemes running in different areas. For more information contact: The Community Transport Association 46a Channel Street Galashiels TD1 1BA Tel: Website: More information Traveline Scotland This organisation provides information on travel in Scotland. Their website has information for travellers with disabilities including information on the availability of accessible toilets and the availability of assistance for people with disabilities at bus stations, ferry terminals and rail stations. For more information contact: Traveline Scotland 29 Drumsheugh Gardens Edinburgh EH3 7RN Tel: Website: This website has a section on transport for disabled people, which has a lot of detailed information. If you do not have access to the Internet, you can contact ASCS for more information. 9

10 Our Advice Service ASCS (Advice Service Capability Scotland) is a national disability advice and information service. We specialise in information on cerebral palsy. We offer: information on Capability Scotland services advice on cerebral palsy general advice on disability issues We also have a small lending library with resources about cerebral palsy and children's books about disability. You can get in touch with ASCS by calling us, ing, dropping in or writing a letter. Advice Service Capability Scotland (ASCS) 11 Ellersly Road Edinburgh EH12 6HY Tel: Textphone: Fax: ascs@capability-scotland.org.uk Web: This factsheet can be made available in other formats e.g. tape, large print. December 2010 Capability Scotland, Scottish Charity SCO