£2.5m funding announced to help disabled people travel more confidently
The government has announced a £2.5m package to support disabled people travel more confidently as transport networks reopen after the pandemic.
The new funding will include £1.5m allocated to support all 13 Mobility Centres across England to roll out a ‘Hubs Mobility Service’. The service aims to help people stay mobile after they have been advised to stop driving or if they are unable to learn to drive due to their disabilities, offering them advice on alternatives such as powered wheelchairs, community transport and local services.
The hubs have been successfully piloted at 7 of the centres over the past 2 years and have already helped over 4,000 people regain and retain confidence to travel. The real-life benefits of staying mobile were highlighted in the Inclusive Transport Strategy, which sets out the link between reduced mobility and access to transport with loneliness and social isolation.
The government has also confirmed that the 1,000th accessibility audit has been conducted at Oban station in Scotland. As part of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, the government committed to audit all 2,565 rail stations in Great Britain.
The audits will be used to help produce a new public database, so people can better plan their journeys in advance and, along with input from disabled passengers, will shape future investment in accessible rail travel.
In related news, over 500 new accessible toilets will be built across England.
Photo by Jakub Pabis
