UK announces £2.5 million to help disabled people use public transport

The UK Department for Transport plans to invest £2.5 million to make it easier for disabled people to use public transport. Of this, £1.5 million will go to form a “Hubs Mobility Service” in each of England's 13 Mobility Centres.

These services will be used to support those that have been advised to stop driving, or those who are unable to learn to drive, by providing advice on mobility options, such as powered wheelchairs, adapted cars, community transport and other local services. The concept of a 'Hubs Mobility Service' has been tested at 7 of the 13 Mobility Centres during the last two years during which time they supported more than 4,000 persons to stay mobile.

Wendy Morton, Accessibility Minister at the Department for Transport, said: “This funding will help people travel with confidence and comes just in time as our nation rebuilds from Covid. We want to help everyone to be mobile and these vital Hubs Mobility Services will provide life-changing travel advice keeping people connected to their friends, work and support networks.”

The Department for Transport also announced that it has completed its 1000th accessibility audit of the rail stations of the country, as a result of completing the audit at Oban station in Scotland. This is a major milestone in its effort to audit all 2,565 railway stations in Great Britain. The audits aim to create better data and so support future investment to ensure accessible rail travel for disabled people in the country.

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Article published first at Cornish Times on 29 March 2022.