Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department provides guidance to blind and partially sighted people who are unable to cycle or drive.

The government is committed to improving transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity, including for blind and partially sighted people. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure public transport is accessible to all.

Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. Through the Act, we are helping authorities to provide safer and more accessible bus stations and stops and mandating more streamlined disability training for bus drivers and frontline staff. We are also requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publication of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan.

We are equally committed to improving the experience for disabled passengers on rail services and that is why we published the Department’s roadmap to an accessible railway. It sets out what we are doing now to improve the day-to-day travelling experience for disabled passengers in the lead up to Great British Railways being established. The Railways Bill will also establish a Passenger Watchdog, protecting the rights of disabled passengers by monitoring service delivery, investigating persistent issues, and advocating for improvements. We are also continuing to install accessible routes at stations through our Access for All programme and have completed a programme to install platform edge safety tactiles on every platform in the country.

The government recognises that pavement parking is also an issue that resonates deeply with communities across the country. The impact is felt by many; particularly people living with sight-loss, mobility or sensory disabilities, older adults, parents with young children, and anyone who relies on safe, accessible pavements to move around independently.

We are taking forward a new, devolved approach to pavement parking, reflecting our commitment to decisions being made closer to the communities they affect. Local leaders understand their community best and are therefore in the strongest position to meet local needs effectively. The measures the government is taking forward support our commitment to improve transport users’ experience, ensuring that our roads and pavements are safe, reliable, and inclusive.

The Department also provides advice to taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England on the steps they can take to improve the accessibility of services. This recommends mandatory disability awareness training for drivers and sets out recommendations to make reporting of incidents of alleged discrimination straightforward, with authorities expected to investigate thoroughly and take effective action. It also recognises the specific challenges that visually impaired passengers may face when providing evidence of incidents and advises licensing authorities to accept appropriate audio or video evidence and, where relevant, seek information from operators and partner agencies. The guidance also encourages authorities to explore more accessible payment options, such as ‘talking’ meters or more accessible card readers.

Further, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, currently being considered by the House of Lords, seeks to provide a power for the Secretary of State to set in regulations requirements that must be met for any taxi or private hire vehicle licence to be issued and held.

The provision of accessible transport services, including for blind and partially sighted people, also requires a strong impetus from transport providers. We would expect transport authorities and operators to play their part in delivering this service – by communicating with their passengers, including about the accessibility measures they provide to encourage use.

To build on this, we are committed to developing an Accessible Travel Charter. The Charter is a commitment to a shared vision for accessible travel. It will set out what disabled travellers can expect from their journeys, share best practice across organisations and create consistency in end-to-end journeys for disabled travellers.

The Department also provides other support to allow blind and partially sighted passengers to travel including through the blue badge scheme and concessionary travel on public transport.