Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure all new buses include two wheelchair spaces.

The 2021 National Bus Strategy seeks to make travelling by bus and coach easier for disabled passengers.

We will mandate the provision of audible and visible route and location information onboard local services in Great Britain, and are improving the availability of data on the accessibility of buses.

We also require buses funded by the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme to incorporate additional accessibility features, including a second wheelchair space or flexible area.

The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) require vehicles subject to them to incorporate a wheelchair space and boarding ramp or lift. I recognise that such provision might be inadequate for wheelchair users wishing to travel together, or at busy times, and I applaud operators who have innovated in the provision of a second space.

We have committed to review PSVAR by the end of 2023, to ensure that future decisions on accessibility standards are based on an up-to-date understanding of passenger need. We will shortly launch a Call for Evidence to seek evidence on the extent to which existing bus design and accessibility features are effective in facilitating an accessible service.