Improving Assisted Travel: a consultation

Consultation status
Conclusions published
Date of publication
Closing date
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Consultation outcome

The responses to this consultation (published here in a single document) reinforced the need for improvements, provided a wide range of useful suggestions and confirmed that a comprehensive review of the Disabled People’s Protection Policy (DPPP) Guidance, published in 2009 by the Department for Transport, should be carried out.

Alongside the responses themselves, we have published a summary of those responses, and set out the steps we will take to strengthen the arrangements for Assisted Travel, including a review of the 2009 DPPP Guidance. We are producing this summary document in Easy Read and Large Print formats. Other accessible formats are also available on request.

We have also written to licensees, asking them what progress they have made in improving their Assisted Travel services since publication of our research in November 2017 and what immediate steps they plan to make to further strengthen their delivery. We have published this letter and will publish their responses.

Improving Assisted Travel: a consultation summary & next steps
Improving Assisted Travel: a consultation summary & next steps (large print version)
Improving Assisted Travel: a consultation summary & next steps (easy read version)
Published 30 April 2018

Consultation responses
Published 30 April 2018

We have created an advisory group to support work on potential updates to the guidance the rail industry uses to form accessibility policies. The advisory group comprises disability groups and the recently appointed Disability Rail Sector Champion as well as industry bodies such as the Rail Delivery Group, Transport Focus and the Department for Transport. The group will advise on proposals to the changes to accessibility guidelines, due to be published in autumn 2018.

Letter to licensees - 27 April 2018
Responses - Published 28 June 2018

November 2017 consultation

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In 2017 we engaged external agencies to undertake a large-scale programme of consumer research. The research results provided us with a robust evidence base to draw upon in identifying where the arrangements for providing assistance to passengers who request it (‘Assisted Travel’) can be strengthened. In the consultation document we sought views on potential improvements:

  • We asked for views on how passenger awareness of Assisted Travel might be increased.
  • We highlighted the user experience of Assisted Travel and ask what action could be taken to improve the reliability of assistance for passengers.
  • We sought views on how training for company staff could be strengthened.
  • We highlighted how we are strengthening monitoring of Assisted Travel and sought views on how this may be improved further.

November 2017 consultation document and research reports

Improving assisted travel: a consultation

Improving assisted travel: a consultation (easy read version)

Improving assisted travel: a consultation (large print version)

Research into passenger experiences of Passenger Assist

Research into passenger experiences of Passenger Assist – Qualitative research – December 2017

Research into passenger experiences of Passenger Assist – Booster interviews for the quantitative survey – January 2018

A mystery shop of turn-up-and-go services

Research into passenger awareness of assisted travel services