The Minister of State for Transport Chris Heaton-Harris has written to the Rail Delivery Group extending the period of non-accessibility compliance for buses and coaches performing rail replacement duties.
Train companies have been granted an extension until the end of April, providing that they:
- Source and use compliant vehicles wherever possible in the first instance
- Only use non-complaint vehicles that have been granted a special authorisation when other options have been exhausted.
- Provide alternative accessible transport for disabled passengers when no compliant vehicle is available
The letter says that arrangements must be made in advance during planned engineering works to ensure alternative accessible transport is readily available.
A spokesperson from DR UK said: "It's disgraceful that yet again disabled people are made to wait to get access."